Jennifer Craw and the Ring of Silence 16
by jcwriter
Summary: Heritage Two: An unknown source has awakened Mallus Craw's cursed ring, while an ancient quest of revenge seeks to destroy the Craw family. But is this truly the Craws' greatest threat? Or is it in actuality the misdeeds of Severus Snape?
1. Limited Leisure

_Welcome to Heritage Series book two! For those of you new to the series, it begins with Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand (alternate Harry year five) and if you're not new to the series but haven't read this far, the previous book is Paintings of Twilight._

_  
This book is rather dark and deals with a few heavy themes, including pregnancy responsibility, abuse, manipulation, death (and mortality in general) not to mention midlife crisis and the nasty effect it can have at on even the best of relationships._ _It does, as always, have its light and comedic moments, however, which I hope you'll enjoy as well, and several story lines, not the least of which discovering more about Craw heritage. Welcome back, hope you like it! JCWriter._

_Update notes:_ _Phoenix Wand is now updated both here and on the website. Ivory Skull is updated on the website (so is Forbidden Tomb, but for some reason it's throwing up errors...sorry, no clue what's causing that, working on it, and if anybody knows why my punctuation is turning to question marks etc, I'd love a PM on it.) I will let you know when the rest of the novels are updated further in case you annex. _

_  
All novels will be going through a revision to fix the following issues: No hyphen in Truth Seeking (it was driving me nuts.) Toned down Hagrid and other accents for readability's sake. Naming discrepancies (such as Aurora Sinistra), and fixed some capitalization...room titles are capitalized (Headmaster's Study, Dark Forest) but study, forest are not, and so forth. Uncapitalized centaurs and goblins since they're major races in my series (just like we don't capitalize human.) Constellation (the meeting day) is capitalized, constellation (as in a group of centaurs) is not. Fixed some minor typos throughout, and clarified a few points that have come up in the past._

_That's all for now. Hope you like the first chapter, thanks for reading!_

Jennifer Craw and the Ring of Silence

Chapter One

Limited Leisure

Many of those well acquainted with Severus Snape, current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, believed in many respects that Professor Snape was a wizard who had everything. Everything, it seemed, except time…and in many ways, the one was the result of the other. He had a job of undeniable prestige (although he sometimes despised it), had established a prominent family (and in many ways much too prominent for his liking), and had earned a great deal of personal acclaim (which he often wished everyone would just forget about). And to top it all off (and at the bottom of it all) there was Jennifer.

She was his wife of thirty years (despite the fact that she didn't even look as if she had been alive that long), and she had a very distinct knack of getting in over her head in everything she did and nearly always pulling him under as well for good measure. But for once even Jennifer had decided that enough was enough and that they were going to get away for a while, no matter how insane things were getting at home…and things had definitely gotten insane.

Severus attempted not to think about it from where he sat on the patio of their suite in Villahexa, reading. Even the passing thought of what awaited him at home gave him a piercing headache. The wizard skiing resort that Sirius had told him about years ago was very peaceful in the early summer, and it was the few places other than the open sea that Jennifer and he had any luck staying without being pestered by any of the three reasons he had to get away in the first place. Of course, if any emergency did come up that couldn't wait, it would be much easier to find them there than if they had taken the ocean route; so between that and a rather uncomfortable encounter with Lupin that left Severus not really wanting to rent a boat from Lupin's father-in-law as they often did, Villahexa was the obvious choice.

Severus heard sounds behind him and peered through the door to see Jennifer standing there in a green bathing suit, rummaging through her suitcase.

"Did you walk through the hotel in that?" he called in with a frown.

"Oh, Severus, the spring is just straight down the stairs from here," Jennifer chuckled at him, walking over to the doorway. "I still think you ought to give in and go with me sometime."

"I am _not_ appearing in public in a bathing suit no matter how remote the chances are of being seen," Severus said flatly.

"Oh, you don't have to wear a bathing suit if you don't want to, Severus," Jennifer said mischievously. Severus stared at her. "Yes, I know, we can't ruin your callous reputation, now, can we?" she teased, walking back inside to change. "I don't suppose you feel like doing forms today?"

"If we can find somewhere appropriate," Severus said, turning back to his book to find a good place to pause.

"Actually, I already have somewhere in mind," Jennifer said a moment later after working her way into some leggings. "I was thinking about that goat trail we found yesterday with the meadow along the side of the hill. That seemed large enough…and private enough to suit you," she added with amusement.

"I highly doubt it, but it'll do," Severus said, marking his place and coming in. "We should order something to take with us since it's a bit of a distance."

"The walk will do us some good, it'll help us clear our heads," Jennifer said with a sigh. Severus knew very well what she was thinking about.

"Don't you dare bring it up, Jennifer, we're only here for three days and they can very well manage without us for that long," Severus said, putting his hand to his head and kneading it. "Although I imagine the board is going to be chomping at the bit to find me when that business with Andrew comes out. Not even Erik would be sympathetic in this situation, nor would I blame him."

"Look at you, all tense already," Jennifer sighed, rubbing his shoulders. "You're right, Severus, they can manage for one weekend. No work, no family," she promised, kissing him lovingly. Severus returned it thoughtfully before studying her concerned face.

"I thought you wanted to go for a walk and do forms?" Severus said.

"Didn't you want to as well?" Jennifer challenged him innocently.

"Yes, but if we don't go now, we're not going to be going anywhere for quite some time, so why don't you grab your cloak while you still can?" Severus suggested.

"Very well, Severus, if you insist," Jennifer said turning to get her cloak.

"I am not insisting," Severus said in a low voice.

"That can wait until we get back," Jennifer chuckled at him. Severus acted like he was debating it but opened the door, the two of them walking down to the small shop in the front to grab some sandwiches, and then wandered down the road until they rediscovered the trail they had found the afternoon before.

The meadow was filled with small blossoms of wildflowers, and Jennifer would have been just as content to lie down among them and watch the clouds go by had she not already committed to doing forms. But neither of them were in the mood to try any of the more strenuous exercises, and instead went for a few that they knew so well they barely had to think of them to get perfect execution.

"I don't suppose you're up for a spar?" Severus suggested expressionlessly when Jennifer moved to sit down.

"Here?" Jennifer said with exasperation. "How about supper?"

"How about desert?" he inquired, the tone in his voice changing despite his deadpan gaze.

"Here?" Jennifer repeated again, tsking at him.

"Why else would we carry these?" he inquired, holding up a pair of clear phials in his hand.

"Emergencies," Jennifer chuckled at him. "And don't you dare attempt to tell me it's an emergency, I know better."

"I am certain if you give me a moment, I could make a case for it," Severus said.

"You, Severus, could make a case for absolutely anything if you were motivated enough," Jennifer teased, offering him a sandwich that he batted away. "Besides, if that was your intention, I would have thought you might have gone along with my suggestion of the springs."

"And have someone end up walking in on us or sitting on us? Or even stepping on us, like that night on the Astrology Tower when we forgot to check Aurora's class schedule…"

"Ugh, Severus! You promised you would never bring that night up again!" Jennifer protested vehemently. "If it hadn't been for Aurora's quick thinking, we'd have been sacked for sure."

"I thought I'd never get you to agree to going cloaking after that…"

Severus suddenly paused mid-sentence, for a curious sensation had gone through him that he couldn't quite explain, and he found himself searching around and wondering where it came from. When he turned back around, Jennifer had a very pained expression on her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked in alarm.

"I heard something," Jennifer admitted. "High pitched sound, very irritating. Rather like the dog whistle you tried to train Descartes with."

"I didn't hear anything just now but I admit I felt something," Severus said, getting up.

"I felt something too," Jennifer said. "Almost as if something were passing by me too close for comfort."

"_Monstre hostis!" _Severus cast, checking to make certain there were no enemies about. But then he realized his chain had not changed temperature at all since they had been there. "Very odd," Severus said, glancing over at Jennifer who looked just as baffled before glancing at his watch. Everyone was pretty well where he had expected them to be, and no one was listed under 'Mortal Peril.' "I don't suppose you would condemn me if I checked in long enough to determine it was only on our end?"

"Of course not, Severus," Jennifer said, reluctantly eating her sandwich and leaning back in the flowers to watch the sky while Severus consulted the mirror that Aurelius kept on him to communicate with them in an emergency.

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" Severus frowned. "Well, who's with Lucky at the moment? Oh, they are?" Severus said, glancing at his watch again. "No, if Harry is with them I am fine with that. Perhaps it is a false alarm for a change. I don't know at the moment, but I'll let you know if we decide to come back early. Fine." He looked over to see Jennifer shaking her head at that last comment. "Nothing to be concerned about. Everything seems quite normal at home."

"Which is when you let things worry you the most," Jennifer said knowingly. Severus sighed and sat down beside her.

"At least I don't worry every minute of the day and night like you do," he taunted her. "I should have known something would turn up. I was almost beginning to enjoy myself for a moment." Jennifer sighed and reached her hand out to him.

"We don't have to leave just because we had a bad feeling, Severus…"

"And a sound, you said…" Severus reminded her; making him all the more positive that whatever it was it wasn't a false alarm.

"Severus, please!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Very well, Jennifer, we'll stay for now," Severus reassured her quietly, but Jennifer knew it was going to be harder than ever now to block out their responsibilities for the rest of the weekend.

* * *

It had taken a bit of wheeling and dealing…not to mention playing his mother against his father…for Dale Chance to spend one last afternoon away from the annoying promo spots and appearances so he could be able to act like a 'normal' teen wizard for a change.

Wearing the Order of the Owl wristband over a bright pink polo shirt, Dale's first stop was at the Muggle park just down the street from where his mother had grown up, being driven up in a nice limo with two guards from the BELA department of the Ministry in tow.

They sat up in the top row, looking rather conspicuous in their tailored suits and long beards, especially considering how hot it was to be wearing such heavy clothes, earning a few curious looks from some of the parents sitting nearby. But Dale didn't care, hopping over the stands until he found one he liked and immediately took in the football game in progress a moment before he began shouting, 'Go Pinks! Go Lucky!' often well over the voices of the parents sitting nearby. Ben Clemmons peered over at him a moment before recognizing him, but then simply smirked and turned back around to watch the game.

Unfortunately, some of the other parents began to recognize Dale too, but for some reason the batteries of their cameras had all died at once. The two guards exchanged smug looks when they noticed one of them trying to put in backup batteries only to find those were dead as well.

On the pitch, Lucky tried very hard to ignore Dale's presence, a bit irritated that he was even there. But she had to concentrate, for Brown had decided to stick her as goalkeeper. It wasn't her best area and she would have done everything to get out of the box, especially the way Jeffrey was slipping and sliding all over the wet turf. Fortunately, Sylvia at midfield was making up for his lack of grace, for she had improved by far from last summer after having made her school's team. Lucky very much regretted the fact that she hadn't had the practice the others had. Despite that, her defensive playing and agility had improved thanks to sparring forms, and the obvious improvement in those areas were what had inspired her coach to try her in the position in the first place. But it was hard for Lucky to stay out of the middle of the action, and it was apparent on her face every time Jeffrey or Carrie missed a goal, wincing in pain at the lack of precision and strength and knowing she could have done better.

The game ended as it began at 0-0 tie, and Lucky couldn't help but be a little disappointed despite the fact that as a whole, both sides played well and complemented each other as much when they met in the middle of the pitch.

"Oh my God, Lucky, look! It's Dale Chance, and he's coming this way!" Sylvia whispered excitedly in her ear. Lucky rolled her eyes.

"How about we pretend it's last summer when you didn't know who the hell he was except for being the tallest kid on the Hamptons?" Lucky said flatly.

"Well, I thought he was cute last year too. And don't you just love his American accent?" she murmured.

"I'm from America too, you know," Lucky pointed out.

"You don't sound like him," Sylvia murmured back, then tugged on her sleeve again. "Look, he's coming over!"

"Ya," Lucky said with a sigh, only too aware some of the others were murmuring too.

"Hey, Lucky! Good job today," Dale said with a grin as he walked up, waving at one of the coaches.

"Thanks," Lucky said with a shrug, trying to separate herself from the rest of the team only to find that the majority of girls on it were shifting over to stay close enough to hear. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, it's my one day off this month, so I was hoping we could go over that…math assignment…you promised you'd help me on?" he said, glancing at the audience with a smile.

"Oh that. I dunno, I have to go to a birthday party at another park later and stuff…" Lucky said.

"Do you both go to the same school?" Sylvia asked curiously. "Where did you say you went to school again, Lucky?" Lucky rolled her eyes and yanked Dale away by the arm, not that he seemed to mind it.

"Sorry, Lucky, didn't mean to make it uncomfortable with your friends there," Dale said sincerely.

"Who's uncomfortable?" Lucky snapped irritably as she walked over to the stands. "You're the one who had to get in this stupid Second Chance band thing and turn yourself into a tabloid headliner, you deserve what you get!"

"Well, a lot of it was my Dad's doing, too," Dale chuckled, following behind her. "Although it can be a pain at times, what with the staged sightings and all."

"The what?" Lucky asked blankly.

"Well, the Ministry is worried that the reporters will get a little too zealous trying to track me down while I'm in our parts of town," Dale explained, looking pointedly over his shoulder at the two guards in suits. "So one of the things they've been making us do is book hotel rooms I'm not really staying at and getting in cars only to drive around the block and get back out of them so they have something to photograph." Lucky rolled her eyes. "So any time my Mom wants to take me to Myrkinbrek or something, I have to find somewhere else 'Muggle' to leave from so they'll all think I'm there instead. It's a real pain, really."

"Sounds stupid," Lucky said, working her way over to Ben.

"Necessary evil," Dale shrugged with a grin. "Actually, it's kind of a relief that I have places I can go to get away from it. I'm already looking forward to school starting again and we haven't even taken the tour out of the country yet."

"Can we talk about something else?" Lucky said irritably.

"Sure!" Dale agreed readily, smiling at Ben as they stepped over to him.

"Great game, today, Lucky! And you were worried you couldn't handle goalkeeper," Ben grinned.

"Thanks. This is Dale, from the order," Lucky said. "My brother-in-law, Ben."

"I recognize you from the wedding," Dale said, shaking his offered hand.

"I recognize you from the telly and the internet," Ben grinned. Lucky let out a short sigh. "Although I've heard more about you from Lucky."

"Really?" Dale said with surprise. Lucky eyed Ben with a frown.

"Yes, she's been doing nothing but complaining about you since she got home last week," Ben teased. "Ever since she found out you put ABBA's_ Take a Chance on Me_ on the MP3 Player."

"What? You don't like ABBA?" Dale asked Lucky innocently. Lucky glared at him. "I thought everyone did. Tried to get the rights to sing that one, but it was a no go," he sighed wistfully. "But don't worry, Lucky, maybe I'll write you a new song, maybe when the wizard version of my album comes out."

"You do and I'll break your jaw," Lucky threatened, showing him her fist.

"Lucky!" Ben said disapprovingly, but Dale simply chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm used to her threatening me. It's gotten to be routine," Dale said. "I only dropped by to see if she could help me with my summer homework, but she already mentioned you had plans, so I should probably head out."

"Why don't you come along?" Ben asked, ignoring the face Lucky made in response. "We're heading to Aviation Park, there's a bit of a Weasley convention going on there today."

"Oh, that's right! Connie mentioned that to me as well, come to think of it, I wasn't sure at that point I could make it," Dale said, and then nodded with a grin. "Need a ride?"

"I suppose, if you have one lying around," Ben chuckled.

"Do I ever," Dale said. But before he could get away, one of the parents sitting with the Pinks murmured something in Dale's ear, and Dale found himself pausing to sign a few autographs while Lucky glowered darkly at him. Finally they got away and he signaled the two wizards in suits, who seemed quite relieved when Dale let them know he was spending the rest of the afternoon at Aviation. "It means they can take the rest of the day off," Dale whispered softly with a chuckle as they walked out of the park. "Especially since I can key straight home from there."

When they turned the corner, Lucky and Ben stopped and stared at the black limo sitting near the road, Dale opening the door for them as the two wizards slipped into the front seat.

"Now how you gonna drive that thing to Aviation?" Lucky said with exasperation. "It don't even have a parking lot, and it's enclosed."

"I suppose it'd kill you to trust me?" Dale challenged her. Ben shrugged and hopped in. Sighing, Lucky followed him, then found herself looking around in surprise when she saw a pair of long ornate red carriage seats that reminded her of an old western, but with a lot more leg room. In between them was a table filled with drawers underneath, and a ridge around the table to keep things from falling off. "You see? The outside part is just an illusion," Dale said as he climbed in and shut the door, then reached for a seat belt. "You might want to fasten it," he recommended. Lucky frowned at him a moment.

"Please don't tell me this thing is aerial," Lucky said flatly.

"Yes, yes it is," Dale grinned, and Lucky and Ben quickly fastened their belts.

Lucky stared through the window up front, but at first it simply looked like the front cabin of a limousine. Suddenly the wizard driving made a pair of very sharp turns around a few blind corners and the cab suddenly transformed, the two wizards up front strangely raising up and out of her view until she saw silvery reigns dangling down and hitched to a pair of the largest white horses she had ever seen. Had that not been spectacular enough, each of the horses' legs seemed to have a spare; and within seconds the eight-legged steeds leapt into the sky, knocking them back as it attempted to get past the cloud line.

"What are those?" Ben asked in awe once he caught his breath.

"They're called Sleipnerians," Dale explained. "Giants used to use them as war horses. Nearly extinct now, not really legal to own them; we have them 'on loan,'" he explained with a grin, making quotes with his fingers. "They can travel in any environment…air, land, sea, and can go through obstacles like Unicorns can. I love them! They're the most fantastic animals I've ever seen in my life!" he said enthusiastically, and Ben readily agreed they were very impressive.

Lucky decided she probably would have been impressed too if they had been on the ground. With her stomach reeling and her mind wondering about things like air pressure and lack of oxygen, she decided the best course of action was to close her eyes, grab on, and pray it didn't last long. But Dale didn't mind the way she was clinging to his arm, despite the fact that he had lost all feeling in his hand. In fact, the expression on her face as she squinted her eyes shut was so amusing that he decided to try to get her in the air as often as possible.

"Woah, what a strange sensation," Ben said, when the steeds finally dropped out of the clouds and drove right through the dome of Aviation Park as if it hadn't been there, landing just outside one of the four Quidditch pitches. A rather large group of kids began to gather around the coach, gaping at the steeds and the splendor of it and wondering who was inside. Finally the door opened and the kids stepped back to see Dale, Lucky and Ben come out.

"Oh, it's Lucky!" several of them said with a laugh, some of them greeting her by name as they stepped away from the coach so it could leave. Dale grinned widely but didn't say a thing, and Ben simply shook his head.

"You are such a showoff Lucky!" Helena said with exasperation. "Can't you do anything half way?"

"She's a Snape," Reggie said dryly.

"Yep, I'm back to reality," Dale said to himself with a chuckle.

"Where's the rest of your family at, guys?" Ben asked with a smile.

"Follow the red hair," Reggie said dryly, "or me, one or the other."

"He's the brown-haired sheep of the family," Helena agreed as they lead them through the park. Sure enough, the Weasley family ended up very easy to spot where they had spread out at the back of the hanger; despite the fact there was an occasional head of a different color thrown in the mix just for variety. They had come early that morning to commandeer as many picnic tables as they could; and between that, and table lengthening, and lots of blankets and playpens had made themselves quite literally at home. Lucky had a very hard time remembering who was whom, especially when it came to trying to name any of Charlie's grandkids. She had noticed they seemed to have children in spurts, even across generations; a great many of them were in the same age ranges, with the next ones after Lena, Connie and Reggie seeming to be four or five, and then recently six months to a year…many of which the result of the Minute Alchemist baby boom.

It was Heather and Bill's girl Amy who had just turned six; and Arthur had decided some months ago that that would be as good an excuse as any to have a family reunion. At the moment, Molly was entertaining her by helping her set up the pin-the-tail-on-the-centaur game (Lucky had a sneaky suspicion that Sagittari wouldn't have approved of,) while Heather was sitting with her four-month old daughter Althea on her lap next to Hermione with six-month Rich, and Ginny sitting with her six-month granddaughter Olivia. After a cursory hello to all of them and a wave to Harry, Lucky went off with Lena and Dale to track Connie down and Ben went to say hello to Alex and find the food. Harry, after waving back, was much more interested in attempting to sneak Olivia away from Ginny, who was too engrossed in the conversation about teething to notice. Finally he got her attention long enough to get the baby, walking her over to where Alex sat near Arthur as he looked through a stack of postcards with interest.

"And this one is in Hong Kong?" Arthur said, gazing at the picture of picturesque boats in a harbor.

"Yes, I believe so," Alex said. "After that she sent the one of the beach in Australia. She never tells us where they're off to. She has simply been sending us a post card after the fact. Hello, Harry!"

"Hello, Alex. Honeymoon postcards, I take it?" Harry asked, sitting down next to her. Olivia cooed at Janus, who stared at her balefully.

"Yes, I swear they've been all over the world twice over since they left in April. In fact, I'm not sure they want to come home," Alex grinned, glancing over Arthur's shoulder. "That's the last one…the Hyperion festival in Pole Plaza."

"I love how they have all those ribbons tied down the pole!" Arthur said.

"They went to Polaris Town? Rather bold, isn't it, considering?" Harry said with a frown. "Sunset Dawn isn't likely to forget or forgive Pyther's restoration back to being human."

"It's practically daytime twenty-four hours a day up there right now, so I'd say there's no danger of being up there this time of year. Besides, after Toby's wedding gift to Alicia, I doubt there will be any problems."

"Still, I do hope they're being careful, hopping about like they are," Harry said.

"Toby gave something to Alicia? What did she get?" Arthur asked eagerly, handing the stack of postcards to Harry, who found he had been robbed of Olivia in the process.

"Well, you know that spell used in complex Arithmantic problems you can use to write out the formula in the air so you can negate them?" Alex said.

"I definitely know it," Harry said dryly. "It got me out of a trap below the castle once."

"Well, from what Father told me, he gave her a modified version of that spell in which she could use to draw pictures in the air. That way, if they're in an emergency situation where Apparating isn't an option or she needs to get to someone right away, she can still draw her way out and take whomever she likes with her without having to leave a physical painting behind. The spell fades within a minute or two," Alex explained.

"That is very nice," Harry agreed.

"I agree. I've often been worried about how anytime she does need to use it she needs to either drop something or find a painting somewhere inconspicuous," Arthur said, bouncing his great granddaughter.

"Yeah, there were times when that was a pain on our adventures as kids," Alex admitted with a grin. "But my point is, nobody can get out of a jam like my sister can, Harry. I don't think you have to worry about the clan catching up with them."

"I myself am a bit more worried about that vinter vampire that's moved into Hogsmeade," Arthur admitted in a much softer voice.

"I know, I've been keeping an eye on him," Harry admitted, lowering his voice as well. "But so far, he's done everything above board, from immigration to the non-human rights office to the business office. Every single license is in place, every T crossed and I dotted."

"Now who does that remind me of," Arthur said with a sigh.

"Probably the same person it reminds me of," Harry said, the two of them looking at Olivia thoughtfully, while Alex looked away, lost in her own thoughts. "In some ways, Foncé is more dangerous."

"Yes, Harry, but he still has all the restrictions and vulnerabilities of a vampire, so that should limit him some," Arthur said quietly. "Of course, he doesn't have a shadow of humanity, does he? What I mean to say is, that even with all of the evil Lucius caused, he did leave some good in his wake, Harry. Mary, Danny, and yes even Draco," Arthur said, despite the fact that Harry grimaced before he had even gotten to his name. "And of course our little Olivia! Would you have a world without her, Harry?"

"I suppose not," Harry admitted, then looked over at Alex who was listening with a distant look on her face. "But that just goes back to why I think Foncé is in some ways more dangerous. The worst part is that I don't think we'll be able to get rid of him until someone is already a victim. He hasn't left one single technicality to chance, so all I can do is watch and wait."

Suddenly Harry felt a strange chill run through him that made him look up at the sky expecting an approaching storm, realizing belatedly he was inside. He stood then and looked around in confusion, wondering if it had simply been the conversation at hand that had made him uneasy.

"Something wrong, Harry?" Alex asked with a frown, seeing the strange expression cross his face.

"I don't know, it was just…nothing, I suppose," Harry said.

"Well!" Arthur said, handing Olivia back to Harry. "I'm going to go see who all is around to see if we can start on the cake and things."

"That had better be one huge cake," Alex commented as Arthur walked away, grinning at Harry who had sat back down beside her.

"You know, that's always been the real magic behind the Weasley family, Alex," Harry said, offering his finger out to Janus who simply inspected it for a moment before opting for his own. "No matter how many of them there are, there's always going to be just enough to go around."

"Yeah, that is something, isn't it?" Alex agreed with a smile.

As the others were gathering around the center picnic table, Harry and Alex walked over to the play area to hand the babies off to Tim and Connie, who were half babysitting and half watching as Dale and Lucky tried to teach Helena and Reggie some basic moves with the football.

"I think I'll stay here with these guys," Alex decided with a grin and stepped into the pen.

"Thanks, I feel a lot better already," Harry said, handing Olivia over before walking towards the table, rather surprised to see Aurelius there. "I thought you were helping Andrew to try and find Gloria's mother?" Harry murmured to him curiously, and Aurelius nodded in response.

"I just came over to check in real quick. Father was a bit uneasy and wanted me to make sure it was nothing," Aurelius said, expecting to Harry roll his eyes at that. Instead, Harry looked quite startled.

"How very strange," Harry murmured. Aurelius frowned, reading his expression.

"Perhaps there is some reason to be concerned after all?" Aurelius wondered.

"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head and trying to focus back in on the party. "I just don't know."

* * *

Sagittari of Sagittarius, son of Stargazer Ronan, frowned critically at where the sharp, polished circlet had landed within the target. He stood beneath the shade trees, his robes discarded, looking nothing like the doctor and professor that the students of Hogwarts had come to respect. He was at that moment simply a centaur that had come home to visit for his youngest children's annual star readings.

"Do not be so quick to trade speed for accuracy, Amphion. The angle leaves much to be desired," Sagittari said critically. The auburn-haired roan colt frowned in annoyance, carefully removing the circlet blade from the hay figure, placing it back within a leather strap at the top of a long rod. "Take your time, it is not going anywhere," Sagittari said again.

"If it were an enemy of the forest, it would not be standing still," Amphion said, stamping a hoof but settling down when Sagittari frowned at him again. Sighing softly and attempting to concentrate, Amphion readied his sling again and spun the circlet out toward its target, cutting deep into what would have been its neck had it been alive.

"Better," Sagittari admitted with a nod. "You'll do well at the games this year."

"But I was hoping to listen to the counsel at the Constellation this year," Amphion frowned.

"First you should learn to listen to my own counsel, Amphion, and take your time, for it is not going anywhere," Sagittari repeated. Amphion sighed, realizing now that he was talking about more than just his aim.

"I bet I could hit that target better than Amphion can," said a young blonde and dapple-grey filly, coming up beside them.

"You should be with your mother learning your recitations, Lyra," Sagittari said sternly.

"And Amphion should be with the other colts," she said rebelliously, but then brightened. "They're studying sun arcs, Father, and measuring the sun with sticks. It's very interesting."

"Why don't you ever do as you are supposed to?" Amphion sighed at her.

"Why don't you?" she challenged back.

"Amphion is excused from his duties so he can seek my counsel before his reading tonight, as you will be tomorrow before we read yours," Sagittari said calmly.

"How is it that he gets his reading night first when I am eldest?" Lyra asked, stamping her front hoof.

"You were wise enough to let him go ahead of you when you were born," Sagittari said. "As you would have known had you learned your recitations. You should return to your duties before someone comes looking for you."

"Can't I at least stay and watch you practice?" Lyra pleaded.

"Lyra," a stern voice said, and reluctantly the filly looked up to see her mother, Vega, a red-haired dapple-grey, frowning at her disapprovingly. "It is not your place to argue with the males, especially not your brother and father. Return to the fire ring at once."

"Yes, Mother," Lyra murmured, reluctantly walking back through the trees. Sagittari decided the best course of action was to pretend not to notice, gesturing to Amphion to begin practice again.

"A word with you, Sagittari," Vega said firmly. Sagittari grimaced and Amphion did as well, looking at his father almost apologetically when the centaur went over to join the mare, who had walked a few more steps away from where the boy was practicing.

"Yes, Starlight Vega?" Sagittari inquired calmly.

"Your daughter," Vega began, glancing over at Amphion who was too absorbed in his sling and circlet to listen in, "has become increasingly reckless in your absence."

"She is simply high spirited, Vega," Sagittari said unconcernedly, "Like her mother."

"I did not find ways to forsake my duties," Vega said coolly. "Like her father."

"I trust she will grow out of it," Sagittari said solemnly. "As I trust you with their welfare."

"That is well," Vega said, nodding solemnly. "For I intend to have her mated at first heat."

"What?" Sagittari said, staring at her with alarm. "What do you mean? That is much too early! She is too young for that!"

"If her body is prepared then she is prepared," Vega said evenly.

"No, she wouldn't be! It is much more complicated than that…"

"You are not a healer of our people, Sagittari," Vega said a tone that betrayed how many times she had to remind him of it.

"I was not going to speak of physiology! She would not be mentally mature enough to handle making such a life decision under such conditions when she has not experienced it before," Sagittari said.

"But I am, Sagittari," Vega said evenly, glancing through the woods towards a small meadow as if there were no trees in the way. "I have been watching the colts carefully, and it is Hermius who watches her in the fields most often."

"Hermius is just as reckless as she is, if not more so," Sagittari snapped.

"He is a Scorpio, they will balance and settle each other," Vega said calmly. "The stars read her mate as being a Scorpio."

"I do not approve, Vega," Sagittari said firmly.

"As is your right," Vega said respectfully. "But you do not have the same duties I have, Sagittari. Every day I look after our children, while you but visit for Constellations and Reading Days."

"Tell me one guard or scout of our village who does not do otherwise," Sagittari said defensively.

"I do not question your path, Sagittari," Vega said quietly. "If I had, I would have never let you near me." Sagittari couldn't help but be amused at that.

"You at least were old enough to know what you were getting into," Sagittari pointed out.

"Hermius is not likely to stray far from the constellation," Vega said distantly. "But Lyra's path has been troubled from her birth. She was long coming into the world, Sagittari, many hours after Amphion's fate had been read. But I do not think she will be so long in leaving it. Let her at least have the chance to foal before she rides the night sky." Sagittari's face darkened.

"We may have simply misinterpreted her stars that night," Sagittari said quietly.

"Have we done so every night of her reading since her birth as well, Sagittari?" Vega challenged him.

"I am a wizard as well, Vega," Sagittari said quietly. "And although we often consult the stars, we do not allow them to decide our destinies for us."

"That may be, but your children are not," Vega reminded him. Sagittari frowned, glancing over at where his son was attempting to repair his target enough to try another time. "Star Peregrine has told me that Ronan wishes to counsel Amphion," she said, the pride evident in her voice.

"Yes, it seems that his stars, at least, read true for him," Sagittari murmured. "If only Lyra's did not."

"You cannot protect her from her destiny, Sagittari," Vega said quietly. Sagittari gazed at her sad, solemn eyes but didn't answer. Instead he simply turned and walked back over to his son, reluctantly allowing Vega to deal with Lyra in her own way.

"I am improving, Father," Amphion declared.

"So it would seem, although I am not certain you are unbiased when it comes to judging your own progress," Sagittari said.

It was then that the wave went through him; a strange vibration like distant thunder and he gazed up at the sky, wondering what it was.

"Your Spear is glowing," Amphion said solemnly. "I have not seen it do that before."

Sagittari unslung the Spear with surprise, staring at it unsurely before getting in a special pouch at his side and rubbing it down with poppy oil, the glow slowly subsiding. Something was wrong, that much Sagitarri was certain. But when he listened to the sounds of the Dark Forest, nothing seemed amiss; and when no Owls came as the afternoon progressed he put it out of his mind and tried to concentrate on the tasks at hand.


	2. The Taming of Andrew Snape

Chapter Two

The Taming of Andrew Snape

In the week since school broke for the summer holiday, the part-time residence of Andrew Snape on Crow's Keeper Lane had gone through a most horrific transformation. His cabinets of sauces and syrups had gotten shoved out of the way in favor of jars of Biggles Baby Brews; his closets of extra bathrobes for guests had made way for diapers, baby blankets and baby robes; and piles and piles of books, equipment, gadgets and cases of Oat's Bane had been stacked on top of every wardrobe, cabinet, and high shelf he owned.

He had quickly come to the conclusion that out of all the girls he had been with in his life, none were more demanding, higher maintenance, or more determined to get singularly attached than little Gloria Brighton. At the tender age of six months, she had complete control over him from the moment she had first arrived at the gates of Hogwarts. _I own you,_ her eyes seemed to say, _and I am not going to let you forget it for one instant._

Every spare moment he had soon was put to the challenge of canceling every date he had lined up that month; and he had lined up quite a few. In fact, he had been waiting for months to be free of his job so he could touch base with some of the girls he hadn't had a chance to see in a long time. But that was all over now, in the form of a simple form letter: _My dearest, something of a family emergency has come up and I must keep my plans free for a while. Please accept these flowers as a way of apology and I'll get word to you as soon as I am able. Yours always, Andrew._ Of course, he then had to buy so many bouquets from the florist that they closed up early for the day, and it also took some time to make sure he had gotten every single name on the list. The last thing he needed was one to show up at the door right now.

But with that out of the way, Andrew began to go back through each name, eliminating every one of him that he could. Some he eliminated on the merits that he had never taken them to Brighton Beach. Others because he was 'fairly' certain he hadn't been dating them yet at that point, or at least hadn't had a date with them that particular month. Even then the list seemed daunting, and Andrew found himself spending a lot of time staring at the girl trying to think of whom she might look like. At least she didn't seem to take after his part of the family, he mused.

"This is not my life," Andrew murmured as he patted Gloria's back gently to try and get her to fall asleep. "I don't know whose life it is, exactly, but it's not mine." Finally she began to doze off and he let out a sigh of relief, tiptoeing back into the kitchen to start a fresh pot of coffee. There was a loud rap at the door and Andrew nearly screamed in terror, rushing to answer it before whomever it was tried to knock again. "Do you mind?" Andrew hissed at Aurelius, who simply stared at him expressionlessly.

"Do you want my help or not?" Aurelius asked flatly. Andrew shoved him in, shushing him with such insistence that it woke up Gloria, who began to protest loudly at being put to bed.

"Now look what you've done!" Andrew said with exasperation.

"You're not getting any sympathy from me," Aurelius said, following Andrew into the next room and watching him pick up the baby. "No matter how this turns out, father or not, you deserve every minute of this."

"I'm not the father, Rel," Andrew said fervently.

"Well, we still don't know that, do we? Do you have a list for me of possible mothers?" Aurelius asked with a sigh.

"Um…yeah, I've been working on it. Here, could you…"

"Nope," Aurelius said, taking a step back when Andrew tried to hand him the baby. "Sorry, I promised Father. You're going to have to pay the piper yourself."

"She's not mine!" Andrew protested again, putting Gloria into a high chair. Aurelius simply looked at him skeptically. Andrew sighed and went back to the kitchen table, attempting to ignore Gloria's protests. "Here, I have it narrowed down to twelve."

"Twelve?" Aurelius gaped at him.

"Yes," Andrew said, a bit annoyed when Aurelius didn't seem impressed with that accomplishment. "And it wasn't easy, either. I lost some of my old date books because Ginger got to snooping around and she hit the ceiling when she saw it. But don't worry, I started writing them in the same personalized invisible ink that I use on the back of my hand to keep their names straight now. So I'm only missing a few months, September through November."

"Well considering they would have been showing by then, I doubt it matters because they would have made a point not to be anywhere near you if it was yours," Aurelius pointed out.

"Yes, that's true," Andrew said thoughtfully. "Might I see that list again? I bet there's one or two still on there I date too regularly to be on there."

"Do you even know which they are?" Aurelius said dryly.

"Of course, that's why they're my regulars," Andrew said in annoyance, taking three more off the list. "There you are. Only nine now."

"Great," Aurelius said unenthusiastically. "You might also take her down to St. Mungo's. Ginny says all babies have their footprints done, so if she was born there, they can try to match it or maybe you'll get lucky and someone will recognize her. You also might consider going to the BELA office at the Ministry and arranging a DNA test through one of the Muggle hospitals as well."

"What's that?" Andrew asked. Gloria, deciding that being put in the chair meant she was going to be fed, starting fussing demandingly until Andrew made his way to the cabinets.

"It's this thing where they look at your cells under a microscope and try to match them. Everyone's a little different, but they would be able to tell if you were her parent. It's really accurate…"

"Wait, don't we have a blood test that proves what family someone belongs to?" Andrew asked brightly, charming a baby spoon to try and feed Gloria. But Gloria would have none of it, completely unsatisfied until Andrew reluctantly sat down to do it.

"She's too young for our version of the test, Andrew, and technically it isn't even legal until she's at least five, and then only in emergencies…"

"Five? I'm not waiting that long!" Andrew said fervently. "I want something done now!"

"Well, if you do the DNA test, you'll know for sure if you're her parent or not in a week, Andrew," Aurelius said.

"I know it now. I'm not her father," Andrew said firmly. Aurelius didn't say anything at first, watching as Andrew made a mess of feeding her despite the fact that Gloria seemed quite pleased with his attempts.

"Well, at least someone finally was able to get you trained," Aurelius said. Andrew threw him a dirty look. Just then there was a tentative knock on the door.

"Oh please, let it be someone helpful," Andrew said wistfully.

"You want me to give this list back and let you figure this out without a Truth Seeker's help?" Aurelius challenged him irritably but went to answer the door anyway. He was a little surprised to see Taylor Brittle on the other side of the door, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, um…hi Aurelius," Taylor said. "Is Andrew in?"

"He's in a lot of something," Aurelius said with a smirk, inviting him inside. "I'm going to get started on these names, Andrew. I think Taylor wants to see you alone anyhow."

"Not that I'm ever alone these days," Andrew said drearily, waving to his brother as he headed outside. "Hello, Taylor."

"Hi. Need some help?" Taylor asked. Andrew stared at him as if he had said something too good to be true.

"Is that a trick question?" Andrew asked wistfully. "Because if it isn't, I'd appreciate it if you ran some water in the sink for me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Taylor inquired with a shrug, smiling at the happy girl covered with mashed bananas before emptying the bottles and jars out of the sink with a spell and tracking down the soap.

"My father 'asked' my other siblings not to help me with Gloria, short of finding her mother," Andrew explained with annoyance. "It's insane. I'm in my mid twenties and he still thinks he can interfere like that…"

"So you're saying is that them not interfering at all is interfering?" Taylor asked with a grin.

"The way he does it, yes," Andrew muttered, cautiously helping the baby out of the chair and over to the sink "I suppose Danny must have told you what happened."

"Yes, actually," Taylor said cautiously, watching as he carefully put the baby in the water for her bath. "Actually we uh…we've been talking about it a lot."

"Really?" Andrew said in confusion, watching distractedly as Taylor searched drawers for a towel.

"Yes, well…we were wondering if you did turn out to be the father, and the mother wasn't capable for taking the baby back for one reason or another, what your plans were," Taylor said, leaning against the counter holding the towel.

"If that proves to be the case I doubt I'll have any of my own plans for a long time," Andrew said dryly.

"Well…look, we all know you don't want this right now," Taylor said solemnly. "And the fact of the matter is there are probably several couples out there who'd be happy to take on the responsibility, Andrew." Andrew looked up in surprise as he finally realized what Taylor was getting at. "Maybe even some out there you would be willing to trust with her." Andrew took the offered towel and wrapped Gloria up, too speechless to say anything at first, dressing the baby and laying her back down before even attempting an answer.

"It's a very…reasonable offer, and I know it's a sincere one," Andrew said at last when he quietly stepped back into the kitchen. "But…if by some slim chance that is my daughter in there, she'd be a Snape and a Craw and…well, we don't abandon family no matter what the circumstances," he explained, Taylor nodding slowly in understanding. "Actually, I take that back. If I did try to put her up for adoption, my mother would disown me," he said, only half-joking since he knew she would.

"Yeah. Danyelle told me you would say that," Taylor admitted quietly. "But I thought, just in case you were considering it…"

"I will keep it in mind," Andrew said sincerely, showing him out. As he shut the door, Andrew felt absolutely terrible, despite the fact there wasn't a thing he could have done about it.

* * *

Lucky had been taking advantage of the Professor's absence, for Alex was nowhere near as strict and was so busy with her own life that it was easy for Lucky to sneak out without doing chores or reading or forms or anything else she was supposed to be doing during her parents' absence. The mornings were spent in front of the television until it was time to go to practice. Afterwards, she immediately talked whoever it was that came to pick her up that day simply to drop her off at one of the other parks where she hung out with whoever happened to be around until dinnertime, which she spent in front of the television, game console, or the computer until time for bed. But before she knew it, it was the Monday her parents were due back, so Lucky got up extra early so she could enjoy her last day of freedom.

"Good morning, Lucky! Don't make a mess in the kitchen," Alex said from where she sat feeding Janus. Janus burbled. "Yes, your daddy is still here. He's getting ready for work. What's wrong, don't you like your breakfast?" Janus made another strange sound and moved his hands erratically. "Well, you can't have mashed pumpkin all the time, it isn't good for you! Come on, just a few more bites than I'll put you down to play." Lucky rolled her eyes, grabbed a couple of scones and headed in to watch television, frowning with annoyance when she saw that Ben was watching TV-AM.

"Oh, no! Not that stupid show! How many dumb animal tricks and fake interviews can you stand?" Lucky complained

"Wait, wait, look, Lucky! It's a real interview this time, it's your friend from Second Chance!" Ben said excited. Lucky squinted and focused in on the set, sitting down on the couch beside him. "Don't worry, you haven't missed much. So far they've only asked him what he likes best for breakfast, boxers or briefs, favorite sport, and who his favorite American Idol contestant is so far," he explained. Lucky rolled her eyes.

"We hear you're going to a private school up north…I know we're not allowed to ask where, but what's it like for you up there?" the host asked. "Do you like school?"

"Yes, I like it a lot," Dale agreed.

"How do they treat you, where you are? I mean, being a pop star and all?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing like that, actually. I'm just another student there, really, we don't even talk about it," Dale admitted.

"What do you like to talk about then?" the woman host asked. Dale shrugged.

"Oh, you know, ordinary stuff. Classes, things like that…"

"Do you have a favorite class?" the man asked.

"Yes, I like math best," Dale grinned.

"Oh, really? Hot teacher?" he asked.

"No, no, no," Dale chuckled. "Hot student," he explained. Lucky's jaw dropped.

"Really, do you have a girlfriend?" the woman host asked with interest.

"Well, I have about a hundred outside the studio right now," Dale joked, the hosts chuckling as well. "No, honestly, though, the girl I like barely acknowledges me, really."

"Well, that's just criminal!" the woman host said.

"Always the one you can't have, is that it?" the male host teased.

"Something like that," Dale grinned.

"Well, from what we've heard of your fantastic new album, I believe things will soon be turning your way, Mr. Chance," he reassured him. "Any girl would have to be lucky to be seen with you."

"You can say that again," Dale grinned enthusiastically.

Lucky jumped off the couch and started cussing loudly at the television in Spanish to the point Ben didn't hear a thing after that as they all got up to shake hands. Suddenly Lucky burped up a foul taste and stopped short as soap bubbles started coming out of her mouth. She turned around to see Alex standing there with a wand in her hand and a dangerous spark in her eye.

"One more word like that, young lady, and you won't be going to football practice or anywhere else for the rest of the day, and when Father and Mum asks why you're in your room, I get to tell them why," Alex said primly. Lucky tried to respond but only a few more bubbles came out. Slumping her shoulders in resignation, Lucky headed off to her room to get ready for practice. Alex shook her head and then grabbed Janus up and handed him out to Ben. "He wants snuggles."

"Oh he does, does he?" Ben said contentedly. "All right, Janus, but just for a minute then I have to go to work."

"Must be nice," Alex said dryly. "I've barely been out of this house for a month and a half."

"Feeling cooped up?" Ben said, handing Janus back. "Well, you could always drop Janus off with Andrew for a few hours," he suggested mischievously. "Isn't like he's going anywhere."

"Ben, that is absolutely evil! Now, why didn't I think of it?" Alex said with a grin, kissing him goodbye before sticking Janus in the pen so she could write a note. But as she went over to the desk, she noticed another letter and opened it curiously, for normally Alicia sent a post card. She read it and squealed with delight, walking back into the living room. "Hey, everyone guess what?" she said, but then paused, glancing over at Janus who was fast asleep. "Well, darn it! Lucky went upstairs and Ben left for work already! Who am I going to tell?"

"Tell what?"

"About Alicia and Francis being on their way home of course…wait, who said that?" Alex asked, turning around in confusion until she looked up at the painting Alicia had done of Corey sitting in the oak tree.

"They are? Well that's good to know, isn't it?" Alicia said from where she leaned on the tree.

"I would never have guessed it," Francis agreed.

"Hey!" Alex said in surprise and laughter as the two of them stepped out of the painting and got a pair of enthusiastic hugs. They began shushing each other belatedly as Janus stirred in his sleep. "So you're finally back! Look at you! Nice tan, Alicia! And Francis…you look as if you're a little too well done again…"

"Thank you, tell me something I didn't already know," Francis chuckled.

"We spent the last couple of days in St. Trop," Alicia grinned. "Although I'm not quite sure Francis was ready for the Riviera."

"Well, you still should have warned me it was a topless beach before you came out like that," Francis complained.

"Alicia!" Alex gasped at her, shaking her head. "I hope father doesn't hear about that."

"He's not here, is he?" Francis said, suddenly worried. Alicia poked him in the side disapprovingly.

"No, they're not back yet. They took off the moment school got out to get away for awhile, though I think it was more to get away from Andrew than anything," Alex said with exasperation.

"Why, what's wrong with Andrew?" Alicia frowned with concern.

"The Minute Alchemist's bad batch of Oat's Bane, that's what's wrong with Andrew," Alicia said. Alicia cringed and Alex nodded to her. "Her name is Gloria of Brighton and she's six or seven months old, and Father and Mum decided it was his problem and left."

"I can't say as I blame them," Alicia said.

"They'll be back tonight, though, then maybe I can get away for awhile," Alex said.

"What, you're not working?" Alicia asked.

"We couldn't really afford anyone reliable, and as it turned out it was cheaper for me not to work than it was to find a nanny," Alex explained. "So I'm taking a year off, except for volunteer work for the Muggle Rights Commission."

"You don't have to take a whole year off if you don't want to, Alex, I can always watch him," Alicia protested.

"You are moving back here then?" Alex asked.

"Sure, as soon as we find somewhere here or in Hogsmeade we like, and I'm going to open up my own studio," Alicia said.

"I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade if I were you," Alex said fervently, glancing over at Francis. "While you were gone, Foncé got all his paperwork straight and has taken up permanent residence there, although Harry's been looking for a reason to toss him out."

"I'm not afraid of Foncé," Alicia said firmly.

"All the same, it may seem to him as if we are looking for trouble if we moved there," Francis said, Alicia frowning at him. "He may see it as a challenge."

"Bring it on, then," Alicia said, gazing at Francis defiantly. Francis sighed.

"Fine, but if we find something in London that is more suitable, don't you dare turn it down just to prove a point," Francis told his wife.

"Now, honestly, would I do that?" Alicia frowned at him in annoyance.

"Yes, quite definitely," Francis said with a nod. Alex suddenly chuckled.

"What?" Alicia frowned.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see you both on even ground, that's all," Alex said with a smile. "For a while there, after reading your postcards, I was beginning to wonder if you both weren't having too much fun instead of getting to know each other better," she teased.

"Oh, we've been getting to know each other better, haven't we?" Alicia said in a mischievous tone, wrapping her arms around him.

"Mm hm, and hopefully with plenty more left to learn," Francis said in a low voice with a wicked smile, wrapping his arms around her as well. Alex chuckled and shook her head at them, but then noticed Lucky standing in the doorway with a look of complete disgust on her face.

"Ready to go?" Alex asked.

"More than ready," Lucky said, eyeing the couple, who quickly broke apart.

"Leaving already? Where are you going?" Francis asked with a frown.

"Football," Lucky explained.

"Hang on, Lucky, let me get Janus ready and I'll run you down there," Alex said.

"I can watch him, Alex," Alicia protested.

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd mind if we came along," Francis said, Alicia glancing at him with surprise. "Now that we're family, I'd really like to get to know you better, Lucky." Alicia suddenly felt guilty, having been too wrapped up in her own life in the last couple of years to make any effort at all at getting to know her new sister.

"Sure, if you want," Lucky said noncommittally, shrugging.

"In that case, how about I get us a basket or something? Lucky usually goes to the regular park right after practice, so maybe we can have a picnic?" Alex offered.

"Great!" Francis said enthusiastically.

"Here, I'm not going to let you do all of that by yourself," Alicia protested. "Besides, you don't know what Francis diet is like these days."

Lucky sighed with annoyance as she watched the three of them work to get Janus ready and put together a food basket and a diaper bag, more than a little irritated that her last 'free' day was quickly turning into a family outing.

It was a couple of hours later that Jennifer and Severus used their key home, stepping in to find the house unusually quiet. Severus took only a moment to make sure their bags had arrived before opening up his watch.

"Apparently Alicia is home," Severus said, Jennifer brightening immediately. "She, Alex and Lucky's hands are all pointing at North Broom."

"Well! That is good news!" Jennifer said cheerfully as she entered the kitchen, fairly clean but obviously recently used. She then got into the cupboard to find her fruit bat snoozing and immediately got him out to pamper him. "Hello, Ratfly! Did you miss me?" she murmured, bringing him into the front room where Severus was standing near the desk, glancing over the post. "Everything seems quiet and normal here, doesn't it?"

"So it would seem, yes," Severus said, opening a note card with the Hogwarts seal on it and reading it. "Would you mind terribly if I head over to the castle for an hour or two? Sagittari wants to see me about something."

"Of course not, Severus, go right ahead. It'll give me time unpack and check on things here," Jennifer said.

"Check on Andrew, you mean," Severus said, still looking through the post.

"I never said that," Jennifer muttered, giving Ratfly a treat before allowing him to head back into the pantry.

"You didn't have to," Severus said evenly, and Jennifer put her hands on her hips.

"You know, Severus, it just occurred to me that this supposed 'advantage' I have over you with the 'Truth Seeking thing' as you call it seems to have grown quite slim in recent years," Jennifer complained. "Have I become too predictable for you?"

"Perish the thought. If I allowed myself to believe that for a single instant, you would go out and do something to prove me wrong whether intentional or not," Severus said knowingly. Jennifer sighed at him with exasperation. "Fine, if you must check on him, you must. And don't worry, I'll be back for the family dinner you inevitably have in mind with Alicia's homecoming."

"I am becoming too predictable!" Jennifer said with dismay, a bit annoyed when Severus simply smirked at her and went into the bedroom to change.

Andrew had just dozed off when there was a knock at his door. But he had become an exceptionally light sleeper and sprang to his feet, hurrying over and praying that for once Gloria hadn't heard it. He opened the door to see his mother standing there, greeting him with a warm smile and a hug.

"So, how are you holding up? Any news?" Jennifer asked.

"No, Mum. When did you get back?" Andrew asked.

"Just a few minutes ago, really. So, where is she?" Jennifer said, wandering towards the bedroom.

"Oh, no, don't do that, I just got her asleep!" Andrew protested.

"She's not sleeping," Jennifer said and went in, coming back out with Gloria snuggled in her arms. Andrew sighed as Jennifer went over and sat with her at the table while Gloria kept repeating 'muhmuhmuh' over and over again. "Why, I think she's trying to say mummy! She's quite brilliant, isn't she?" Jennifer said, holding her up to look at her face. "In fact, I think she thinks I'm her Mum! I don't suppose any of your girlfriends look at me?"

"Not by a long shot, Mother," Andrew protested. "I may have my issues, but having an Oedipus Rex complex is definitely not one of them. It's probably because you're the first woman she's seen in awhile."

"No guesses on who the mother is, then?" Jennifer asked.

"Not even a guess at the moment," Andrew admitted. "Aurelius is going through a list I gave him but so far says it's come up empty. We did run some tests at St. Mungo's and one of the Muggle hospitals but haven't heard anything yet."

"The poor thing!" Jennifer said, snuggling her all the more. For some reason Andrew couldn't explain, he found Jennifer's doting over Gloria just as annoying as his siblings' refusals to have anything to do with her. "You've been taking well care of her, though, I see."

"Who's had time for anything else?" he asked tiredly.

"Well, I think the two of you have been in the doghouse long enough and should come and join the family again, don't you?" Jennifer asked the baby, who was still mumbling at her.

"She's not mine, Mum."

"We don't know that yet," Jennifer tsked at him, getting up. "Although I do admit she doesn't look much like you. Anyhow, why don't you make a bag of stuff up? I'll go get her dressed."

"Dressed? What for?" Andrew said with surprise.

"Because we're going to take her to the park," Jennifer said cheerfully.

"What? Are you mad? I can't take her to the park! Someone might see her!" Andrew gaped.

"And someone might also recognize her," Jennifer pointed out as she changed Gloria. "After all, she was with her mother for six months. Someone else may have very well seen them together."

"Um…yes, but that's not what I meant…" Andrew began.

"And on top of that, Alicia and Francis are back and apparently went with Alex and Lucky to the park, so I thought we could join them. You do have a bag, don't you?" Jennifer said.

"No, not really. I've never taken her out before," Andrew admitted.

"Some father you're going to turn out to be," Jennifer scolded him.

"She's not mine!" Andrew said firmly, emptying out a book bag.

"Don't raise your voice in the presence of your daughter…all right, all right…_alleged _daughter then," Jennifer amended mischievously as she finished snapping the baby up and then walking out with her to inspect what he had put together. "Only one change of clothing and one diaper? You really haven't taken her out before, have you? Grab three more outfits and three more diapers, Andrew, and lots of extra blankets. Don't you have a bottle of water as well?" Andrew got everything Jennifer asked for and stared at the bulging bag as if Jennifer really was beginning to lose it.

"Are you sure we really need all of this? Just to go to the park?" Andrew frowned. But Jennifer simply rolled her eyes at him and entered the fireplace with Gloria still in hand, knowing he'd have no choice but to follow.


	3. Anisplinched

_ A/N Ivory Skull (2) has been updated on this site. Still working on the problem with Forbidden Tomb on my private site though...sigh. JCWriter_

Chapter Three

Anisplinched

When Severus arrived at the castle, he was unsurprised to find Sagittari out by the barn taking care of the animals. Although the centaur was always solemn, never had he seen the centaur's face quite so troubled; even in the years he had still been considered an exile of his people. The moments of deep concern for his patients had long left lines around his eyes and mouth, but never had they been so deep as Severus had witnessed in that moment.

"Good afternoon," Severus said quietly. Sagittari paused in his brushing of the hippogriff and gazed over at Severus, nodding solemnly.

"Good afternoon, Severus. I hadn't heard you had returned," the centaur said.

"Only just, really. Hermione sent me a note that you wanted to speak with me," Severus said.

"Yes," Sagittari said with a nod. "I thought I should report to you that I had a strange occurrence with the Spear while you were gone," he said. Severus stared at him in surprise. "I was with my people for my son's Reading Day, when I felt strangely unsettled and it began to glow briefly. I wondered if something evil came into the forest, but the creatures did not seem to react if that was so."

"When was this, exactly?" Severus said with alarm, although the chill running through him told him that he already knew the answer.

"Two days before today in the mid afternoon," Sagittari said, Severus nodding grimly.

"Jennifer and I felt something as well that day, only…now that you mention the Spear, I begin to wonder. I should probably get in touch with Harry and see if he felt something as well," Severus murmured.

"Then it is something you believe touched all of the Sentinels?" Sagittari asked thoughtfully.

"Quite possibly, although I would say it's too soon to rule anything out. Although…I believe I will feel a little better after I've checked on the Lia Fal," Severus decided.

"I will go with you," Sagittari said. "For there is something else I would like to speak to you about."

"Oh, what is it?" Severus asked, pausing outside the barn door.

"It's of a more personal nature," Sagittari explained, opening the gate for Severus and not speaking another word until they were well within the Forest. "You have long understood the ways of centaurs, Severus, and the curious position that I have been in," he said at last.

"Yes," Severus said with a nod.

"A centaur's life is guided by the stars. Our entire culture and existence is wrapped up in both our significance with them and our insignificance compared to them. But as a wizard…what would you do, Severus, if one of your daughters had been fated to a path of despair and an early death?"

"Depending on the source, discount it or heed it as a warning, perhaps, but do everything in my power to change the path or prevent it," Severus said. "One's fate can be changed. The fact that I'm still alive right now is proof enough of that to me."

"Yes, and I relied on that in attempt to justify my own path as a wizard long ago, although now that I look back I wonder that nearly all the predictions the stars made about my fate did indeed come true in some fashion," the centaur murmured.

"Predictions always look best in hindsight," Severus said with a shrug. "We fit events around them and anything that didn't happen was simply 'misinterpreted.'"

"Perhaps," the centaur said quietly. "Of course, such a philosophical debate as this within the constellation would be quite unheard of. To even question the stars is blasphemous to their ears. But I have come to question it, especially now most of all. My youngest son has a twin sister born under a different night as she came six hours later; being breech slowed her birth…a bad omen in many cultures, including ours. If that wasn't enough, her birth reading was as dark and dismal as much as my son's was bright, and it has been every Reading Day since then…always dark, always plagued with misfortune, and always calling her to death before her time. The other centaurs, therefore, accept this as fact, including my father, of course, and Vega as well. And even though she would be the equivalent of twelve or thirteen in human years, Vega plans to have her mated as quickly as possible despite my disapproval. I believe they are doing nothing but only reinforcing the belief that something will happen to her and encouraging it rather than preventing it."

"It does sound that way," Severus agreed quietly. "Does your daughter know of all of this?"

"She does," Sagittari nodded, but then sighed. "Although I don't know if she understands the gravity of it. Often she simply uses it to her advantage. The mares are more tolerant of her misbehavior because of her fate so she gets away with practically everything. Lyra is bold and reckless, unwise, but quite intelligent. She often uses her freedom to explore the world around her or sit classes with the colts, since their teacher ignores her presence. I'm not certain if she has condemned herself to this yet. Perhaps as long as she has not, there is still some hope. Although now I would wonder what you would counsel me to do."

"There is probably only one thing you can do," Severus said solemnly, "and I believe you have already come to the same conclusion. To leave her there would simply insure what your people have seen her fate to become."

"Yes, I've come to believe that as well," Sagittari admitted. Severus nodded.

"Then my advice would simply be to go fetch her and meet me at the grove so I may evaluate her magic potential and see if she's capable of becoming a witch," Severus said.

"Thank you, Severus," Sagittari said respectfully. "I'll return shortly."

Severus grew thoughtful as Sagittari bounded off and he made his way towards Keki's Grove and over to a large stone placed near the center. It neither wept nor sang when he touched it, despite the fact he still felt the tingle of his connection to it as its guardian. But the sense of foreboding that had come over him speaking to Sagittari about his daughter followed him even in that serene, peaceful place, and he wondered why he had so much trouble shaking it. At least the stone seemed safe, he thought, but even as he thought that he knew it was wrong somehow; just as he knew that Lyra was going to have a long road ahead if she were going to fight the stigma of fate placed upon her by her own kind.

* * *

Jennifer, Andrew and Gloria easily found where the others sat in an open field between the Quidditch pitch and the children's park because Lucky was shouting at Francis for the tenth time to stop trying to use his hands to catch the ball.

"I think we ought to stick him at goalkeeper," Lucky said with exasperation to Alex.

"I'm sure Pimra wouldn't mind," Alex said with a grin. In fact, Pimra had not gotten quite the hang of batting the ball away and was instead trying to duck and cover every time it came her way. "That is, if you think she can remember the rules any better," she laughed, then gestured for Pimra to come over. "New plan! Pyther guards the net!"

"Better him than me!" Pimra quickly agreed. But before they could change places, Francis began yelling and waving and they looked up to see the others coming over.

"Welcome back!" Francis said brightly.

"Welcome back yourself," Jennifer laughed, hugging him. She then spotted Alicia holding Janus on a swing shaped to look like a broom and hurried over to greet her.

"Hello, Andrew!" Francis said, shaking the offered hand before peering in the baby carriage. "So this is your daughter?"

"No," Andrew said, shaking his head. "She's just Gloria."

"Well do you mind if I hold 'just Gloria'?" Francis asked. He picked her up before Andrew could say anything and carried her over to the blanket as well. Lucky sighed when she saw there was going to be an obvious delay as Alex walked over too, using the time to show Pimra a few more basics.

"I wonder if Pimra's parents are here," Jennifer said after they had gotten settled, noticing her over with Lucky. "I'd hate for the board to find out about Gloria the hard way."

"You're the one that wanted to bring Gloria here, Mum," Andrew said.

"Well, it's not good to have her inside all the time," Jennifer said. "And really, it's not like we can hide it forever."

"How about until the tests come back so that everyone knows for certain it's not mine?" Andrew suggested.

"You really are convinced she isn't yours, aren't you?" Alicia said thoughtfully.

"I know she isn't," Andrew said fervently. "For one thing, why in the world would they have tried to hide it from me all these months?"

"Why not? It probably wouldn't have been all that hard to do with you at school for most of that," Alex said.

"Yes, but it's not as if they had much to lose by telling me," Andrew said. "If anything, if I was to blame, I certainly could have made life a lot easier for her."

"Would you have married her?" Alicia asked.

"Probably," Andrew admitted. "Especially if it meant saving my job."

"Oh, Andrew!" Jennifer scowled at him.

"There are worse reasons, Mum. And I know what sort of position this whole thing is likely to put Father in with the board," Andrew said, taking Gloria when she stretched her arms out to him. "In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this isn't some sort of stunt just for that reason alone. To get me fired and Father under some sort of control after all of that business with the board last year."

Everyone grew quiet, glancing at each other uncomfortably.

"No one would actually do something like that, would they?" Francis said, glancing at Gloria with a frown. "Not and risk the child like that."

"Gloria was never in any danger," Andrew said. "Anyone who knew us at all would know she'd be in safe hands."

"I have to admit, I think Andrew has a point," Alex said. "I mean, a lot of people know Andrew's reputation with women, and there are also a lot of people who would have reason to do something to disrupt our family, not to mention the school."

"It's a terrible thing to have to consider," Jennifer said, gazing at Gloria before glancing at Andrew. "But it'd be foolish not to consider it a possibility. Although, if that does prove to be the case, I'm more worried about Gloria than I am about what trouble this might cause."

"Finally, something we can agree on," Andrew said. "Look, in a few more days, we'll know something for certain. Can't you at least give me the benefit of the doubt until then? Besides, if I am wrong, it isn't as if I'm going to brush off my responsibilities. I think you all know me better than that."

"All right, Andrew," Jennifer said, after glancing at the others. "Are you sure you aren't just in denial?"

"If he was, Mum, how would he know it?" Alicia pointed out.

"True enough," Jennifer admitted with a smile.

"But what I want to know is, what do we do if he's not the father?" Alex asked. "Because I'm not sure turning her over to the Ministry is necessarily the best thing to do."

"No, not considering there is a chance this is some sort of frame up," Andrew agreed. "What we really need to do is find the mother. Aurelius is helping me eliminate some of the possibilities, but if I'm right, it's either not going to be someone I've dated recently, or its someone I've not even dated at all."

"In other words, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Alex sighed.

"Well, perhaps Aurelius will have some news. I wonder where he is," Andrew said.

"I heard from him earlier. He's going to be at dinner tonight. I thought we could have a nice family dinner out Baker Street now that we're all together," Jennifer said with a smile. Alicia rolled her eyes behind Jennifer's back, but Alex grinned and shook her head at her sister, knowing they weren't going to get out of it. "In fact, we should probably head back so I can get started."

"Oh, but I promised Lucky one more game!" Francis protested and got up. "It'll only be a few more minutes."

"Yeah, me too," Alex said getting up. Jennifer smiled and quickly offered to take Janus so Alicia could join them, watching contentedly for a while as Lucky attempted to get everyone organized.

"It really is so nice to see Lucky actually being treated like one of the family for a change," Jennifer said contentedly.

"There is a slight generation gap problem to contend with there, Mum," Andrew chuckled, but then grew more thoughtful. "She is so stiff, isn't she, though? Even with Alex, who she's had plenty of chances to get close to. She's almost as distant as she was when she first came to Hogwarts."

"Yes, she is," Jennifer said, nodding slowly before finally smiling again. "But she is getting on a lot better with children her own age now, so it's progress. That order they started has been good for her, and so has Ambrose."

"True, but, all the same, I doubt they really know her well, at least, not like she knows them," Andrew mused.

"No…no, I'm quite certain they don't," Jennifer said, glancing at Pimra, who had gotten behind Alex long enough to steal the ball away and pass it to Lucky.

With one swift kick Lucky launched the ball at the goal, but Francis he was actually too busy taunting Alex about losing the ball in the first place to be paying attention of what was coming up in front of him. At the last minute, Francis turned with surprise to see the ball beamed towards his head and in a panic changed forms.

Instantly he knew something was dreadfully wrong as pain wracked through him in every bone and muscle, hitting the ground hard on his back as the ball soared into the net and rolled back over him.

"Francis!" Alicia cried out and ran up to him, crying out again in surprise when she saw him "Mum! Come quick!" she screamed.

Jennifer put Janus down and ran over to see what was wrong, while everyone else on the field crowded around at a loss for what to do besides stare and cringe. For Francis had turned into a strange aviary mix like nothing anyone had ever seen before with the head of a dove, the body of a robin, the left wing of a wren, the right wing of a sparrow, and the tail of a peacock.

"We had better get him to the hospital," Jennifer said trying not to look, for every time she did, she found herself wincing again in sympathy pain.

* * *

The staff only had to take one look at him before they immediately got Francis to a room. As the others filed into the waiting room, Jennifer stayed with Alicia in a pair of chairs in the hall just outside. Every now and then a doctor or nurse would roll down the scroll on the door and step in, often coming out a moment later with pained expressions on their faces. Finally, Morfinn Bliant ran up the hall in a long white coat that almost looked to big for him and dove inside with a couple of nurses in tow.

"There, now, you see, everything will be all right," Jennifer said reassuringly, despite Alicia's dubious expression. "He really is one of the best doctor's here, you know."

"I know, Mum, but every time I look at him, I still see the sniffling kid who could never find a seat on the train," Alicia said. Jennifer grinned at her in amusement, but then noticed Aurelius walking up.

"Looks like you two have been having the sort of day I've been having," Aurelius said. "Although from what Andrew just told me, Francis has us all beat. Any news?"

"None yet," Alicia sighed.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, he just had a little transfiguration accident," Jennifer said. Alicia stared at her.

"If you keep saying it enough, you might actually start believing it, Mum," Aurelius said. "Anyhow, I just got done checking the last of Andrew's names. None of them knew anything about Gloria."

"Well, that is something," Jennifer said thoughtfully.

"He probably just forgot someone," Aurelius said. "But if so, he's got to figure it out for himself. I am _not_ getting anywhere _near_ his Pensieve. I might get contaminated by proxy." Alicia rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm completely convinced Gloria is his anymore, Aurelius," Jennifer admitted. Aurelius frowned at her.

"Just because Andrew doesn't believe it is doesn't make it so, Mum," Aurelius said.

"I know, Aurelius," Jennifer sighed. "But Andrew is right in that this family has been jumping to conclusions and condemning him without any proof except for a baby on a doorstep and a note we have no owner for." Aurelius suddenly looked thoughtful.

"Where is that note, anyhow?" he asked.

"I suppose Andrew probably still has it, why?" Jennifer asked.

"I think I want to take a closer look at it," Aurelius decided. "I'm going to head to the waiting room to talk to Andrew. Let me know if you guys need anything," he said before walking back down the hall.

"Odd," Jennifer murmured.

"What is it?" Alicia asked.

"Nothing, only he was thinking of his Sherlock Holmes skit from the talent show for some strange reason," Jennifer said, but then looked up when she noticed a nurse peeking out with a smile.

"You can come in now, Mrs. Pyther, Mrs. Snape," she said warmly.

"Thank you, Gillian," Jennifer said as Alicia went ahead of her into the room, sighing with relief and exasperation at seeing Francis back to his normal form, looking a bit haggard but otherwise in one piece. "There, now, Alicia, I told you he would be all right," Jennifer smiled as Alicia hugged him, missing the wince that crossed Francis' face when she did so.

"He's likely to be sore a day or two from the experience, but otherwise he's all right unless he does it again," Morfinn said.

"Again?" Alicia frowned at him.

"I'm afraid I instinctively tried to turn into a bat just then," Francis explained sheepishly. "Apparently I can't do that any longer."

"Apparently not," Alicia agreed dryly.

"Vampire shape shifting works a bit differently than animagus shape shifting. It's instantaneous; one minute you're there, then poof, you're something else," Morfinn explained. "I'm afraid ours is less instinct and more thought provoked. Unfortunately, since Francis has been doing it for six centuries, he's very likely to instinctually try to change again. My advice would be to find yourself a new form you're comfortable with so that when the urge strikes you to change you won't injure yourself again. I'd suggest a bird, considering it seems to have been what your body wanted to change into." Francis nodded. "Other than that, you're free to go. I've prescribed a potion to dull the aches for the next couple of days, and Alicia, I'd suggest you steer him away from any situations that might provoke a change, at least until those aches go away and he finds someone to help him with his new animal form."

"I'm sure Andrew would be willing to help you with that, Francis," Jennifer suggested. Francis blinked in surprise.

"I didn't even know Andrew was an animagus," he admitted.

"Yeah, he's a real nutter," Alicia said mischievously. Morfinn chuckled and Jennifer gave her a dirty look.

"Jennifer, do you mind if we have another moment with the doctor?" Francis asked. Alicia glanced at him thoughtfully, but Jennifer simply smiled.

"Sure. I'm going to go let the others know you're all right then head home to get dinner started," Jennifer said.

"Okay, we need to check into Coven Suites and then we'll be over," Alicia promised.

Jennifer slipped out the door, smiling wistfully herself, knowing very well what Francis was going to ask about. In fact, she was so deep in thought that she practically missed the waiting room all together, and might have had Severus not been standing in the hall next to the door with his arms crossed, frowning at her suspiciously.

"I take it dinner is going to be a bit late," he said evenly.

"Only a little, Severus. Pyther's all right now. Morfinn says he simply needs to develop an animagus form to take the place of his old bat form so he doesn't get anisplinched again," Jennifer explained. "Have you been here long?"

"No, actually, I've been off talking to Harry," Severus said in a low voice, Jennifer frowning at the serious look on his face. "Something is going on, Jennifer. I'm not quite sure what, but Harry and Sagittari both experienced something similar to what we had that day in the meadow, and the Spear of Lugh reacted as well. Once everyone has settled in for the evening, I'm going to go to Stonehenge to have a look about and make certain the Twilight Arc is in tact."

"Need another wand?" Jennifer asked quietly.

"Harry is joining me, but you're more than welcome. First let's get everyone rounded up and back to the house," Severus murmured.

"I'll start working on that now," Jennifer agreed, walking into the waiting room. Severus waited in the hall, then noticed Alicia and Francis walking up from the other direction and frowned disapprovingly at them.

"Couldn't you even stand one day back without causing a major calamity, Francis?" Severus asked critically. Alicia, about to lay into him, stopped short when Francis simply chuckled at him.

"I am sorry sir. I just wasn't feeling myself today," Francis explained dryly. "In fact, in some ways I was feeling everything but myself."

"Yes," Severus mused. "Come to think of it, I've felt like that myself quite often of late," he admitted. "Although perhaps not as dramatically."

"Well, I hope for your sake it won't be as painful to correct yours as it was for them to correct mine," Francis grinned as they stepped over to join the others.


	4. A Dark Pact Between Aurors

_A/N Forbidden Tomb now updated on this site. Hope you like the chapter, it's a tad insidious...JCWriter._

Chapter Four

A Dark Pact Between Aurors

As the moon began to rise, two cloaked and one shrouded figure appeared in the mist around Salisbury only to fade into a strange blue haze around Stonehenge. In the Twilight Arc, the monoliths they had seen as they entered had been reduced to rubble; only the center circle had been carefully cleared away for use by the Order of Merlin for their meetings. But in the moonlight, the pale, ghostly image of the monoliths could be seen standing exactly as they had when Merlin and the giants had constructed it a few thousand years ago. While Jennifer and Harry looked around, Severus murmured a soft spell, gazing at the center of the circle. The ghostly image looked remarkably clearer for an instant, almost solid…while in the center Severus focused in on the faint shimmer of a closed door in the air.

"Everything seems quite normal, doesn't it?" Jennifer said, gazing thoughtfully at the Twilight Arc, seeing no weak spots in the blue haze or signs of strain, while Harry checked over each ghostly monolith.

"The gate itself is in tact, and no signs of any sort of tampering," Severus said evenly.

"Then someone explain to me why, if everything's so normal, that I don't like any of this," Harry said as he gazed across the keystones.

"Yes, I've been going through the same thing myself," Severus mused, and then glanced at Jennifer, who merely looked thoughtful. "Well, we've gone this far, we might as well be safe and head to the Ministry to check on your piece, Jennifer."

"What, this late?" Jennifer said.

"Less likely Malfoy will know I've been there that way," Harry said dryly.

"Yes, I'd rather just get it over with," Severus agreed, "although even if the Cauldron does appear to be 'normal' like the rest of them, I believe one of the first things I'll do when I get back to the castle is make certain they finish the potion office first, Jennifer, so we can get that moved as quickly as possible."

"I admit, I wouldn't mind having it back in the castle myself," Jennifer agreed as they stepped out of the Twilight Arc and Disapparated.

No one bothered to even question them on their way down to the vaults. Even if any single one of them had walked into the Ministry, many of them would have hesitated if they had asked at all. But the fact that all three of them were together at once meant serious business, and it was not until they had reached the lower levels and happened to catch Aurelius by surprise as he was wandering down the hall that anyone spoke a word to them.

"I see you're working late," Harry said questioningly.

"Yeah, following a lead on the Brighton case," Aurelius said.

"Case?" Jennifer repeated with surprise.

"She's technically an abandoned child, so yeah," Aurelius said.

"And it means he doesn't have to take another leave of absence to help with a family crisis for a change," Harry said knowingly.

"That too," Aurelius agreed. "But what are you doing here?"

"Precautionary check on the Cauldron," Severus said evenly. "Care for a bowl?"

"No, but I'll walk you in," Aurelius said, turning around. "There're still a few clerks in there, not that you would have been bothered, but if I go along, Draco's not as likely to fire them for it," he said dryly.

"I'm surprised he doesn't rig the entire Ministry with detectors just to make sure I'm not in the building," Harry said back.

"He tried that, actually. Buried it on a byline of a popular bill funding Magical Malady research, but someone caught it and had the line reprinted in bold ink before it got to the Counsel floor," Aurelius grinned, looking over at his father who remained completely expressionless.

"Well, I did find it rather petty. Besides, I thought the two of you decided to call it a truce for Olivia's sake?" Severus said.

"Well we do, when she's around," Harry said calmly, although it was obvious from Severus' disapproving expression that he was not impressed with the answer. "Tell you what. The day you stop bickering with Sirius, I'll promise to try for a more permanent truce." Severus grimaced. Jennifer looked genuinely amused but quickly hid it when Severus' eyes darted over to her.

"Amazing how far some people are willing to carry some stupid old school grievances," Aurelius said.

"It was more than that," Harry and Severus both protested than once, causing Jennifer to look amused again, and this time it didn't fade as they reached the Archives and she signed off a form so she could enter the vault.

Cautiously she went over to where they had it on a square stone slab and covered with a magic field, but it dissolved away at her touch. A waft of the scent of the porridge-like pink substance hit her nose as it bubbled away, and after testing it cautiously with a kit from her Chest Cloak, she pulled out a bowl and scooped some of it in, coming back out with her contraband contentedly.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Jennifer declared, cleaning the rim with her finger. Severus grimaced at her as she finished the stuff off.

"So, the gate is fine, the Seal is fine, and except for that strange feeling we had, all is right with the world," Harry sighed. "I really hate it when things like that happen to me. If it wasn't for what Sagittari went through, I probably would have either convinced myself I imagined it, or everyone else would be trying to convince me I had."

"Well, since we obviously can't do anything else about it at the moment, we should probably just heed it as a warning and keep ourselves alert," Severus said. "And if anything strange happens again, we should make sure to keep all four Sentinels informed."

"Agreed," Harry said and then looked over at Aurelius. "So, since that problem is at a wait and see now, I don't suppose there's anything you need me for on your case, is there Rel?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Aurelius said with a nod. Jennifer and Severus glanced at each other, but didn't say anything. They had learned some time ago not to get in between Aurelius and Harry when they decided to team up on a case.

* * *

"So this all started because of the paper the note was written on?" Harry asked incredulously as they walked down a quiet street.

"Yeah," Aurelius nodded. "When we originally analyzed it to try to identify the handwriting, we never really did look at the paper itself, so I decided to take a closer look at it. It was thinner than what they sell at Flourish and Blotts, but nowhere near as thin as Muggle manufactured paper, though of a little better quality. I tested for a watermark and found out it was made by a small wizard company in Massachusetts."

"Is that paper sold anywhere over here?" Harry asked with interest. Aurelius shook his head, glancing at the address one more time.

"No, not at all. But I had Ginger analyze the ink, and it was standard Flourish and Blotts, so that means it was probably someone who either has recently visited the States or lived in the States, and more likely the latter. That's when I started combing our files on wizard housing purchases and visas within the last year to try and match signatures," Aurelius explained. "This is the closest match, a Jennifer Hurst, who graduated from the Salem Institute."

"Also in Massachusetts," Harry said with a nod. "That does sound like a lot of uncanny coincidences. Which is it?"

"We should be getting close now," Aurelius said.

They both knew it for a fact when they turned down a side road in Manchester that had been marked "Dead End" only to find it suddenly open up into a row of houses where there had only been a stone wall the moment before. Old-fashioned lampposts dotted the street of cottages and lit the cobbled road, the area reminding Aurelius quite a bit of Andrew's neighborhood in London, except for the fact that many of these were family houses instead of rentals. But as they walked down the street, Aurelius soon spotted a very humble cottage between a pair of larger two-story homes, and wasn't surprised when they found themselves at the end of the walkway.

"She isn't likely to be in," said a voice out of the darkness. The two of them looked around curiously until at last they spotted an old witch sitting on the porch next door, too busy lighting a long reed pipe to look up at first. Aurelius took a few steps closer to see her better in the dim light, and Harry walked up beside him.

"She is home," Aurelius said to Harry.

"Even if she were, she isn't likely to open the door," the witch said, apparently having heard him. She got up and stepped to the porch rail to get a better look at them, her eyes settling on Harry. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Harry said with a nod. "And you are?"

"I am Mrs. Match," the witch said. "Is Jenny in some sort of trouble?"

"We're simply here to talk to her, Mrs. Match," Harry reassured her. "And perhaps help her if she is in trouble. This is Aurelius Snape, by the way, head of the Ministry's Auror department."

"Some say he is, others think you are, Mr. Potter," Mrs. Match mused, glancing at Aurelius' even expression. "Not that I'm not honored to meet a Snape as well. You are certain you're simply here to talk to her?"

"For the moment, yes," Harry said with a nod, and she nodded back, stepping off the porch. "Do you know if she has a daughter?"

"Why, yes!" Mrs. Match said with surprise. "Although she's off visiting relatives, I think. Is something the matter?"

"No, no, she's perfectly safe, Mrs. Match," Harry said, glancing at Aurelius who simply nodded. "We are just here to make sure her mother is all right."

"Very well, then, Mr. Potter. Let me talk to her. She'll open the door to me if no one else. She's a sensitive woman, Mr. Potter, as if some tragedy has befallen her. And although she hasn't confided so much even in me, I expect you'll know to go easy on her," the old witch said. Harry and Aurelius exchanged glances.

"I understand, Mrs. Match," Harry said, and then waited as the witch went over to the door. She knocked on it gently for a moment then listened, knocking a bit more firmly a second time.

"Jenny! It's me, Mrs. Match. Come open the door!" the woman shouted through the door. She paused then and put her ear to the door a moment. "Come, now, girl, you've shut yourself off too much lately, and there's a fact. It won't hurt you to talk," she added, and then seemed satisfied at the noises beyond the door. All three of them began to hear heavy latches being unlocked. Mrs. Match frowned and gestured for them to get out of the way of the door, and Aurelius nodded, stepping to one side with Harry soon following just before the door finally creaked open.

"What is it, Mrs. Match?" asked a woman's soft voice.

"Now, it's just me and some friends, Jenny, why don't you be a dear and ask them in for a cup of tea so you can talk?" Mrs. Match said, nodding to her encouragingly.

"Friends?" Jenny asked in obvious alarm as Harry stepped into view. "Oh no!" she screamed and started to shut the door, but he quickly got a hold on the door before she could. Aurelius jumped over to help and she began backing quickly away from the door, covering her face when she recognized him. "Oh NO!" she said again and ran into a corner with her face still covered, sobbing. Harry turned and nodded reassuringly to Mrs. Match, who quietly left.

Aurelius had been too taken aback by her appearance to get a reading on her in that brief glimpse, for she had such an uncanny resemblance to his mother that he felt a pit in his stomach. Perhaps her hair was more red than auburn; her eyes closer to grey than green, and something in the sheer terror in her face when she saw them sent chills down his spine when she ran off to hide from his gaze.

"Please calm down, Jenny…Jennifer…damn…Ms. Hurst," Harry finally got out.

"We're just here to help you," Aurelius reinforced, although he really couldn't blame Harry for his hesitation. "All we're concerned about at the moment is your safety and Gloria's."

"Gloria's safety," Jenny got out after a moment, not turning around. "Gloria is better off where she is. She's not safe here."

"Why isn't she safe here?" Harry asked, but the woman simply started crying again. Harry sighed.

"Perhaps some tea or something to calm her down?" Aurelius suggested.

"Would you mind terribly if Auror Snape used your kitchen for a moment?" Harry asked gently. She didn't answer right away, but did finally start to quiet down a bit before shaking her head slowly. Harry nodded to Aurelius, who peered cautiously through a couple of doorways until finding the right one and stepping in. "You know, if it's Auror Snape's talent that's bothering you, I can easily ask him to turn around or stand so he can't see you. He's not here to intimidate you in any way, he's just concerned for his brother," Harry said quietly, but she didn't look around. "But Gloria isn't Andrew's child, is she?"

"I thought they would be able to protect her," Jenny said, still sobbing through her answer.

"Why didn't you just go to the Ministry?" Harry asked. The woman shook her head. "Did you not feel safe to go there for some reason?"

"He would have found out," the woman whispered. Aurelius came back in with a tray, gazing at Harry silently.

"Thanks, Rel. Would you mind standing over there?" Harry said almost apologetic. Aurelius simply nodded and backed away, but kept watching Harry carefully. "Here, have a cup. It's all right, it's just tea," he assured her, taking a sip from the cup before handing it out to her, but she didn't take it at first. "You know, you're better off accepting it for your own sake. You'll be able to keep more to yourself if you're able to think more clearly." Aurelius gave him a dirty look, but apparently the suggestion worked because she finally took the cup. "When you said 'he' just then, did you mean Gloria's father? Is he looking for her?" Harry continued. But Jenny shook her head.

"He doesn't know," she whispered. "He…said he was taking potions but I didn't believe him and I started taking them myself, but…"

"Don't tell me, the Minute Alchemist botch up," Harry sighed. Jenny nodded.

"But I thought…I thought I could start over…a new life, just Gloria and me, so I hid back near where I grew up, and I succeeded for awhile but then…the threats towards my family asking where I was grew worse and worse. I knew I was just putting them in danger by staying away from him, but I knew when I came back that I couldn't hide Gloria long before he found out. I just wanted her to be safe," Jenny said again, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold. "Hogwarts was the only place I knew he couldn't touch her, and I thought…well, I had heard rumors about…" she paused, uncomfortably aware that Aurelius was in the room.

"About Andrew Snape?" Harry finished. Aurelius let out a soft sigh.

"Gloria looks so much like I did at that age," Jenny murmured. "And since I look like Jennifer Craw Snape, I thought perhaps it would be easy to believe it was his." Harry frowned. Shouldn't she have been thinking that Jennifer looked a lot like her instead of the other way around?

"Surely you realized that sooner or later they'd realize it wasn't Andrew's," Aurelius put in. "There are tests for that sort of thing."

"Yes, but I was hoping perhaps they'd have gotten attached to her by then and…well if nothing else, found her a good home," Jenny finished softly.

"We will find her a safe home if that's what you truly want, Ms. Hurst," Harry promised her. "Although I think to truly keep her safe we would need some idea of why her father is a danger to her," Harry coaxed. Jenny shook her head again. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to at least sign a waiver to officially put the child in our hands?"

"I can't," Jenny said, shaking her head fervently. "If he sees my name, he'll know."

"That sort of thing isn't made public…"

"That doesn't matter. He'd still find out about it," Jenny said so firmly that it made Harry wonder even more. He glanced up at Aurelius, but then thought better of it. She was distraught enough as it was. "Didn't you already find out what you really came for? She isn't Andrew's. I've never even met him, or any of the other Snapes, I just know what I've been told and what's been in the papers. I've barely met anyone here. Can't you just forget you ever saw me? Please?"

"All right, but it is going against our better judgment," Harry said, glancing up at Aurelius. They could always try again some other time when she had calmed down, and maybe Aurelius could get a better view of her face then. Aurelius nodded to him in understanding. "And don't worry about Gloria, okay? She's safe and happy, you just look after yourself," Harry said gently. "I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't right and people aren't already getting attached to her. And you're right, she does look like you," Harry added with a reassuring smile. "Except for the hair, of course." But to Harry's surprise and alarm, she burst into tears again in such obvious anguish that Harry found himself putting an arm around her, trying to comfort her. "I'm sorry! What did I say? Rel? Something stronger if you don't mind…"

"No, no just please go away!" Jenny protested, trying to push him away.

"We're certainly not going to leave you like this! Tell me what's wrong!" Harry demanded.

"He did it," Jenny finally got out between breaths.

"Did what?" Harry asked, gesturing Aurelius to come closer.

"He made me dye my hair," she got out, another chill going down Aurelius' back.

"Who?" Harry snapped, barely able to keep himself from shaking her as he turned her around to look at them. "You have got to tell us who!"

"A…Amadeus…" she said, barely above a whisper. "Amadeus Longbottom."

Aurelius was dumbfounded a moment, staring at her face in horror before feeling his blood burst into flames and he raced for the door. But by some miracle, Harry had recovered a split second sooner and managed to wrestle him to the floor, while Jenny began pleading to them not to say anything.

"Let me go, Harry! I'm going to kill that bastard!" Aurelius said as Harry somehow managed to get the Unicorn wand out of his hand.

"I can't let you, Rel! As much as I'd like to, I can't let you!" Harry shouted back at him. "For one thing, you'd be sent straight to Azkaban for murder without probable cause, regardless of what we think was going through his head at the time!"  
"Gladly!" Aurelius snapped. "What, do you think for one second that Father would let this go when he finds out about it?"

"He's not going to find out about it," Harry snapped back. Aurelius stared at him.

"Like hell he isn't! I'm not covering this up!" Aurelius said furiously.

"Well, let's just leave that for another conversation! As much as I appreciate the sentiment, you're not killing Longbottom tonight. Because for another thing, she's still seeing him!" Harry pointed out. Aurelius stopped struggling and stared at him a moment before he looked over at the terrified woman who had been watching the entire exchange.

"How could you?" Aurelius asked. "I mean, you must know he's using you…"

"I told you," she murmured shakily. "I'm doing it to protect my family."

"Well, it's got to stop," Aurelius said firmly. "It's got to stop right now."

"That we agree on," Harry said with a nod, letting Aurelius sit up. "We need a reason to get you and your family into protective custody. I think Lunette Vallid may be willing to help us out there since your relatives are in the States, and we'll need to make arrangements for you too."

"Hey, what about that old witch next door? She knew she had a daughter," Aurelius pointed out. Harry looked over at Aurelius with a frown.

"We should at least make a list of anyone who may know Gloria is yours, Ms. Hurst."

"It's Jenny," Jenny said.

"I…um. Right, thanks," Harry said. "Aurelius, could you help me to secure this house and get her to my place for now? We'll finish our talk about how to handle it there. The sooner we get this end of it done, the better I'll feel."

"I won't," Aurelius retorted, but did as he was told and got to work.

Neither of them spoke about why they were doing it for a long time after that; simply going through the motions as if it were a cut and dry protection case as if it didn't matter to them personally. Exhausted from the ordeal, Jenny soon fell sound asleep in the guest room of Harry's home, and while Harry was busy sending out Owls, Aurelius at last found a moment to step outside for some air, sitting on one of the stone steps outside as he attempted to sort out all the thoughts running through his head, the anger threatening to boil to the top several different times before Harry finally made his way outside to join him.

"So…" Harry said as he sat down beside him, looking up at the stars. "Where to go from here."

"Right now I'm still busy kicking myself for asking you along in the first place," Aurelius muttered.

"You know, Rel, there just aren't enough Aurors in the world to let one get dragged under in something like this," Harry said quietly. "Although if you had gone alone and he had ended up dead, I admit readily I wouldn't have blamed you for it, either. But let's let those gut instincts of ours to peel the skin off the bastard and hang what's left of him out to dry in front of Gringotts' Bank for all to see go for now so we can think this out rationally." Aurelius blinked at him in surprise.

"Wow, Harry, that was a fantastically morbid and sadistic idea. I didn't know you had it in you," Aurelius said, impressed.

"Yeah, it's the job. It starts to do that to even the best of Aurors after awhile," Harry said with a shrug. "Right at this moment, I am a lot more concerned over what your Father or Corey might do hearing about this."

"Might? Will, you mean," Aurelius said. "And although you and I may be able to take Corey out, I don't think we could stop Father, you know."

"I know I couldn't," Harry agreed somberly. "So, in a way I guess ultimately whether or not he goes to Azkaban is up to you at this point."

"I really hate it when you put things like that," Aurelius snapped. "And I hate the idea of keeping this from anyone, especially Father! And I hate the idea that that bastard could possibly get away with any of this!"

"I never said I was planning on letting him get away with it," Harry said seriously. "And I know you weren't going to either. We just can't do it now," he added with a sigh. "We have to think of what's best for Gloria, not to mention the Hurst family." The two of them grew quiet a moment, staring out into the darkness.

"Nearly everything prudent I can come up with at the moment involves something illegal," Aurelius admitted with a growl.

"Yeah," Harry said somberly. "Bad enough that I had to do something illegal in Mrs. Match's case. I can't use any sort of memory spell without thinking of your mother anymore."

"I just can't bring myself to use them," Aurelius said.

"In some cases, Rel, it's better than the alternative," Harry pointed out.

"I know, but I don't have to like it," Aurelius said, and then shook his head. "Come to think of it, I don't like any of this. If only we could bring him in…for something."

"For what? Something that started out as consensual? And yes, it probably didn't end up that way and we both know what the real reasons were, but that's not something we can prove in court and you know it," Harry said.

"That doesn't make it any less evil," Aurelius snapped. "And the one thing I do know is that Gloria is better off away from all of this, including away from her mother," Aurelius said.

"Yeah, I know. But that means coming up with some sort of reason as to why we didn't find a mother and yet think it's okay for her to actually find a new home now. We can't say they're dead considering how Gloria was found," Harry said.

"Could have happened after the fact," Aurelius mused but then shook his head. "Not that Grandfather would buy any of it for a second."

"Well, maybe we can get away with telling part of the truth and just not all of it then," Harry suggested. "Although…I think we ought to tell Lunette all of it, because I don't think we can get away with hiding her family without her help. Besides, she's not likely to go ballistic over this."

"Yeah, she should know," Aurelius sighed. "But what you're not telling me at the moment is how do expect me to live with this kind of secret? I mean, I've kept some great ones in my time, and some I'm keeping now would probably have earthshaking consequences if they got out, but…this?" Aurelius' hand went to his head, but Harry reached over and put his hand on his arm.

"You think this isn't hitting me like a brick too? Your mother was there for me in some of the darkest moments in my life! So if you think it's any easier for me to be sitting here right now, you're wrong, Rel," Harry snapped. "And personally, I think the only way we can live with what we have to do to preserve our side from taking losses right now is to make a pact…a real pact. That even if we can't do anything now, you and I are going to do everything in our power to bring him to justice in any way we can, and hopefully before anyone else gets hurt."

"Not court justice, right?" Aurelius said skeptically. Harry snorted.

"I don't think either one of us got into this job for court justice, Rel," Harry said bluntly.

"Because of it, maybe," Aurelius said dryly. Harry nodded in understanding.

"For real justice," Harry said, and Aurelius nodded, shaking his hand. "Now, let's wait and see which office Lunette wants to meet at. She'll probably have some ideas on how we should proceed with this, although she might want her cut of Amadeus' blood too," Harry mused.

"Fine, but I get the first shot," Aurelius said.

"Deal," Harry said and got up, helping Aurelius to his feet as well before the two of them went back inside to make further arrangements.


	5. Oats Scythe

Chapter Five

Oat's Scythe

  It was just after Gloria's after-breakfast bath that Andrew heard a knock on the door.  Expecting to see Aurelius with some news, Andrew quickly put Gloria down in a pen before hurrying over to the door and popping it open, realizing instantly it was not Aurelius at all.  Ginger Davidson stood there with a critical look on her face, watching his surprised expression turn to one of horror.

  "Oh!  Hello, Ginger, what are you doing here?" Andrew asked, quickly minimizing a lot of the gap between him and the door.

  "Just checking up on you, what with your 'family emergency' and all," Ginger said in such a cool tone that Andrew knew he was in trouble.  "After all, we're friends, right?"

  "Um, yeah, thanks," Andrew said carefully.  "Actually…actually, I may have that cleared up in a week or so with any luck."

  "I see," Ginger said evenly.  "What's wrong, aren't you going to show me in?  Or are you still with an early morning date?"  Andrew stared at her tongue-tied.  "Now, Andrew, we're adults, I know perfectly well what your schedule can be like.  From the moment we got out of school you made it quite clear that you didn't want attachments, isn't that so?"

  "Yes, I have, Ginger, and you're right.  There is a girl here, so…" Andrew began.

  "Well, in that case, I shouldn't be rude, should I?  I should at least say hello," Ginger said, pushing her way past him before Andrew could react, walking straight over to the pen as if she knew it was going to be there.  "Oh look!  It's an attachment!" she said in a mocking tone that made Andrew cringe.

  "She isn't mine, Ginger," Andrew said firmly, going over and picking Gloria up protectively and taking her to her crib in the bedroom to get her out of the line of fire.

  "Really, Andrew?  Then why is she here?" Ginger asked crisply.

  "Because…well, it did look bad, and besides, someone had to take care of her until her parents were found…"

  "Parent you mean," Ginger said coolly as he walked back in.

  "Fine, believe what you want, it's not like I can stop you," Andrew said irritably.  "It doesn't change the fact she isn't mine and this is some sort of frame up!"

  "Even if that is true, you did lay yourself open for it, didn't you?  Quite literally too," Ginger snapped, Andrew's face turning red.  "You're lucky I found out about this a couple of days ago so I had time to throw things before I came here.  If I wasn't duty bound to help in the forensics laboratory, I would have told Aurelius where to stuff it when he asked me to even help him analyze that letter!  Well I don't care how this turns out!  I've spent the last ten years of my life waiting for you to come around, and this is definitely the final straw!  I'm not seeing you anymore, Andrew, and this time I'm not changing my mind."

  "Ginger, wait, please!  Can't you just wait a day or two, so I can prove to you beyond the shadow of a doubt she isn't mine!" Andrew said, blocking the door.

  "You don't get it, do you?" Ginger murmured, refusing to look at him.  "Even if she isn't your daughter, she could have been.  And the fact is that your brother had to go to the extreme of testing a letter to try and figure out who the mother is on your behalf because you couldn't figure it out for yourself!  Yeah, I am so done this time.  I'm not going to be just another appointment in your book anymore, Andrew.  You've just proven to me that you're just not worth waiting for."

  Andrew watched helplessly as she walked out the door and didn't look back, finally Disapparating.  Andrew slumped, a wave of depression hitting him.  Why did he feel so horrible?  It was hardly the only girl that ever left…but then again…they hadn't been his first girl either.  They had fought before.  She had left him before.  But somehow he knew from the tightening in his chest that this time it was permanent.  He felt the need to sit down and went over to a kitchen chair and was still sitting there when Aurelius and Harry arrived a half an hour later, coming in with wands in their hands when they noticed the door partially ajar.

  "Andrew?  Are you all right?  Where's Gloria?" Aurelius asked with alarm, staring at Andrew where he sat slumped over the table with his hands over his face.  Harry glanced at him, and looked around before heading into the bedroom.

  "She's fine, Rel, she's in here," Harry said, putting away his wand.

  "What happened?" Aurelius demanded.

  "Ginger left me, no thanks to you," Andrew murmured.

  "Well, it's about time," Aurelius said curtly.  Andrew turned and stared at him.  "Honestly, Rel, she's been wanting to let go for years now, she just has a self esteem problem.  That's partially your fault too, come to think of it…"

  "She left me after you had her analyze that letter!  What possessed you to go to her with this?" Andrew snapped angrily.

  "She's the best analyst in the lab," Aurelius shrugged at him.  "And it's not like she wouldn't have found out sooner or later anyhow."

  "Rel's right, Andrew," Harry said, appearing around the corner.  "She would have found out, and she has been wanting to stop seeing you for a long time.  She wants something a bit more stable in her life right now."

  "Or someone a bit more stable," Aurelius put in.  Andrew flashed him a vicious look.  "Now, do you want to know why we're here, or are you too busy wallowing in your own self pity?"

  "Well, either way, I'm going to start gathering Gloria's things," Harry said.

  "What?" Andrew said, finally standing up with surprise.

  "That at least got his attention," Aurelius said dryly.  "We spent all day yesterday working on getting Gloria official paperwork so she can get adopted, so we can take her off your hands now."

  "Wait, where is she going?" Andrew asked with alarm.

  "The Brittles," Harry said as he came out with Gloria in his arm.  "No objections, I hope?"

  "No…no, of course not," Andrew said, wondering about the sudden anxiety he felt as he watched Aurelius minimize the pen and chair and start emptying his cabinets.  "So she's not mine?"

  "You knew she wasn't, didn't you?" Aurelius said, tossing baby jars into a bag.  "Her father is a psycho wanted dead by more than one Auror, and her mother is an abuse victim who needs to look after her own welfare right now.  She only sent Gloria to the school because she had heard of your reputation and was hoping that the Snapes would be enough of a deterrent to keep her father away."

  "Wait a minute, who is her father?" Andrew demanded.

  "Sorry, Andrew, we're not telling anyone that to protect the innocent, most especially Gloria," Harry explained.  "But don't worry; we have a signed statement of Lunette Vallid that you're not the father after interviewing the girl, not to mention my own statement and the DNA test coming back negative, so you and Severus won't have to worry about you not being able to head back to Hogwarts this year.  Aurelius, could you check and make sure I got everything?"

  "I'll do it," Andrew heard himself say, wandering through the house distractedly as he looked for her things.  Aurelius and Harry exchanged glances but didn't say anything as he silently stepped back in and put a few more items in the former book bag.  "You know, maybe I ought to come with you.  I mean…well, they ought to know she won't eat mashed pumpkin unless you mix some bananas in, and she won't sleep at night without her toy Monster Under-the-bed…"

  "I'm sure they'll figure all that out, Andrew," Harry said.  "It'll be fine, okay?  It's not like she's even leaving the Hogwarts family, is it?"  Andrew nodded slowly.  "Think of all the free time you'll have now that you don't have to worry about it," he suggested, before walking out the door with her, knowing it wasn't going to be easy no matter what they did.

  "Yeah, Andrew, look on the bright side, you can start filling up your summer schedule again," Aurelius said, grabbing the pen, bag, and a sack of diapers before following Harry out.

  Andrew stood there for a long time and stared at the door.  He had never realized how quiet his neighborhood was before, let alone his house.  He turned around then, looking at his cabinet where he kept his address book, and then noticed all the stuff he had stashed on top of it to protect them from Gloria's wandering hands.

  Suddenly he didn't feel like even looking for his address book anymore.  He certainly didn't want to try putting everything back to where it belonged or clean, knowing full well he was bound to run into something that would tear him apart.  In fact, as he stood there, he realized quite abruptly that the only thing he was sure of in that moment was that he never wanted to have to go through another moment like this again.

  He grabbed his cloak and coin purse without truly looking around and locked up, almost wishing he would never have to go back in there…drop out of his lease and have someone else pack for him so he didn't have to deal with it, despite the fact there was sensitive equipment in there, tossed into the top of his closet…he shook his head and put it out of his mind before Apparating to Hogsmeade and into Willowby's Wands and Weeds and up to the counter.

  "Good morning, Professor, looking for your brother?" Jack asked with a smile.

  "No, actually, I'd rather like an Oat's Scythe potion, and I'd rather he not know about it, thanks," Andrew said.

  "Oh, um…let me see if I have one in stock," Jack said in a way that made Andrew sigh, for he knew as sure as anything that he was getting Corey rather than actually looking for the potion.  A moment later, Corey appeared from the back.

  "Hi Andrew!  I was wondering when you were going to show up.  Didn't take long, I see," Corey chuckled, despite the fact that Andrew looked anything but amused.  "I heard about it last night," he explained when Andrew didn't say anything.  "Danny dropped by after she got done talking to Harry."

  "I'm not here to gossip, Corey, I just came to buy a potion," Andrew said curtly.

  "Yes, I know.  But I'd rather not sell it to you until you've talked to Mom or Dad first," Corey said.

  "No.  They'll just try and talk me out of it again, when I probably should never have let them talk me out of it in the first place.  I'm old enough to make up my mind about whether or not I want children, and not only have I never wanted them to begin with, this whole experience has done nothing but reinforced my resolve never to have them.  It's not their decision, Corey."

  "No, it's not," Corey nodded.  "But it wouldn't really hurt to talk to them first, would it?  I mean, I remember my talk with Dad and it wasn't so bad.  In fact, he insisted on making the potion himself and wanted to be present when I took it," he said with amusement.

  "After five kids, I can hardly blame him," Andrew said dryly.  "Please, Corey?  I really don't want to have to go to Sludgebats for this."

  "I don't blame you, but I'm not willing to have this on my conscience either," Corey said evenly.  "Go to Sludgebats, if you think that's more appealing than talking to our parents.  But I'm not playing any part in this without their approval."  Andrew growled and stormed out.

  Corey knew full well Andrew wouldn't risk going to Sludgebats for such a delicate potion and had called him on it quite readily.  Fine, he would make it himself.  He was more than capable of it; despite the fact he knew he didn't have it in any of his books at home.  He Apparated over to the Baker Street house, Lucky letting him in without a passing thought as he said he wanted to borrow a book, replanting herself back on the couch with a controller in hand.  Nobody else seemed to be around, which Andrew couldn't help but feeling a bit thankful for as he made his way up the back stairs and into the library.  He walked straight over to the bookshelf where the potion books were kept, reading the titles carefully before he noticed several books tilted as if there were one out of place.

  "Looking for this?" Severus asked, holding up a book from where he sat in a chair near the fireplace, Andrew whipping around at the sound of his voice.

  "Why is it that this nobody in this damn family can ever mind their own business?" Andrew snapped angrily.

  "It's in your bloodline," Severus said calmly.  "You get it from your mother on her side of the family, and on mine…I blame a very distant relative," he said dryly.  "But I am willing to loan it to you if that's what you truly want. I would even be willing to make you the dose myself, were I completely certain that you were ready for it and not acting entirely on emotion surrounding your current situation."

  "How much have you heard?" Andrew sighed, resignedly slumping into another chair.

  "Nothing at all, except what Corey, Aurelius, and Harry have written when each one sent me their concerns over the past fifteen minutes," Severus said evenly, glancing at the book casually to avoid the dark glare Andrew was giving him.  "Although admittedly each concern expressed was quite different; from Aurelius' concern about your reaction to Ginger finally getting some sense into her head, to Harry's concerns that you had gotten rather attached to Gloria over the last two weeks, to Corey's concern over the level headed member of the family suddenly starting to behave irrationally over a matter he thinks should be taken more seriously.  Of course, it really doesn't matter what their concerns are, does it, considering that ultimately it is still your decision to make.  I certainly don't plan to stop you if you're mind is made up on the subject."

  "Well, considering your constant complaints on how much of a horde this family is becoming, I don't see why you objected to my wanting to take it the first time this came up," Andrew said in annoyance.

  "You were nineteen," Severus said calmly.  Andrew sighed.

  "Very well, I suppose I see your point there, but it certainly would have kept this whole situation from coming up in the first place."

  "Not necessarily, considering it was not your child to begin with and whether you're sterile or not is not likely to be common knowledge.  Of course, not getting yourself such a reputation as you have now might have gone a long way to prevent it, not to mention as many headaches you've caused me with the board over the years…"

  "I've never crossed the line," Andrew protested.

  "No, you simply like to tight walk it on occasion," Severus replied.  "And this time you nearly fell off…dangling by your fingertips at that."

  "And I never want it to happen again, and this is the only way to insure that…"

  "No, the only way to insure it is for you to straighten up and stop this insane dating schedule of yours.  Can't you narrow it down to one girl?" Severus asked with exasperation.

  "No, they get too attached," Andrew protested.  Severus stared at him.  "Although I admit it'd be nice to get it narrowed down to three or four," he admitted.  "It really has been wearing me thin, lately, although I didn't realize it until I had to cancel them all."

  "It's been wearing thin on me for years," Severus said with annoyance.  "Well, I admit that for the first month or two I may have been a little amused by you turning into a girl magnet, but after that it grew old quite rapidly.  And I still think you'd be better off getting that part of your life under control rather than reach for something that truly isn't going to fix any of the anguish you've been having lately."

  "Can't I do both?" Andrew asked.  "Okay, I admit it's time for me to make some changes.  Gloria opened my eyes up to that and more, which I realize is probably why you and Mum left me alone with her for so long in the first place.  But that hasn't changed how I feel about having my own children.  I'd rather just teach everyone else's."

  "Tell me something, Andrew.  Have you lost many of your casual girlfriends to serious relationships, even marriage?" Severus asked.

  "Yes, a fair number of them," Andrew admitted with a shrug.  "It goes along with the territory, so to speak."

  "And have you given much thought to what it's going to feel like to teach their children when they get to Hogwarts?" Severus asked.  Andrew frowned thoughtfully.  "I suppose it is possible you won't feel anything at all except for how you feel towards any other incoming student.  Or you may find out ten years from now when they start to show up in the Great Hall that any time you look at them you feel a sudden pang of regret; or even a reminder of your shortcomings, or mistakes you made in the past.  One child might even come along where you'll find that just looking at him hits you like a brick, knowing that had you made better decisions with your life that that child might have even been yours.  You are setting yourself up for a nasty fall, Andrew.  You may have already found the cliff.  And I can assure you that if you don't take drastic action to change this lifestyle of yours, you will soon reach a point in your life where these mistakes can no longer be corrected and you will find yourself turned into a lonely, bitter old man who has lost sight of everything that used to be important to him.  Taking this potion now would simply be putting another nail in your own coffin, not that I expect you to heed that warning."

  "I'm twenty-five now, Father, and still I haven't changed my mind about this.  I won't regret it," Andrew sighed.

  "Andrew, at thirty-five, I was a crass old bachelor who had every intention of staying that way for the rest of my life, and the thought of children disgusted me to no end," Severus said.  "By my next birthday, I was beginning to doubt that resolve.  By the one after that, I realized I was going to fail in my objective utterly."  Andrew couldn't help but chuckle at that, but then shook his head.

  "Well, I'm not waiting another ten years, although for the sake of my own self preservation, I'm glad you didn't use one," Andrew said diplomatically only to receive a very unpleasant smile.

  "I had no need for it, thank you, although I suppose it would be too much to ask the same of you," Severus said, and Andrew shook his head with a smile.  "Yes, I thought as much."

  "You know, so far you've given me plenty of warnings on why I shouldn't do this," Andrew said.  "But what I really haven't heard is why you personally care if I take it or not."

  "Does it really matter?" Severus shrugged, looking up the spell and placing his snake bookmark on the page.

  "It might, if I knew what it was," Andrew shrugged.  Severus paused and looked at him thoughtfully.

  "Let me ask you this first.  Why are you so fiercely determined not to have a family?" Severus asked.

  "I've told you that before.  I don't want to be a weekend parent," Andrew shrugged.

  "Is it the idea of being a weekend parent you mind, or the idea of having a child go through some of the things that the four of you went through as children?" Severus challenged him.  Andrew frowned at him.  "After all, I realize between threats and curses and the fact that both of us were professors put the four of you in a lot of awkward positions at times.  If that is your real objection, it's understandable, despite the fact you may have learned from our mistakes during that experience that you could probably improve on if you were a parent…and I am not referring to the fact that we both had jobs that kept us away a lot.  If you think back on your childhood now that you're an adult, you may come to realize there was much more going on than just that," Severus said. 

  "But if your point is really that you hated your childhood as a Professor's son so much that you don't want to subject a child of your own to that, please just say so.  Don't tell me you don't want to be a weekend parent, because you really have no idea what it means to be one."  Severus gazed long and hard at him, waiting for an answer, but Andrew was lost in his own thoughts at first to say anything.  Finally he noticed that his father had been frowning at him for a while and pulled himself out of it.

  "You're right," Andrew said at last with a sigh.  "I can even tell you the day I decided I didn't want children, because it was my first day at Hogwarts," he admitted quietly, "and I was looking up for the castle from the boat that very first time.  It felt more like home to me in that second than I had ever felt at the Broom Closet, and I knew in that moment I wanted to stay there forever, that I wanted to teach, and always be a part of it before I even stepped foot in it.  And at the same time, I didn't really want to put any kid through what we went through, especially when Mum disappeared.  Although, I have to admit, at that moment, I understood completely why the two of you felt you had to be there, only…"

  "You didn't understand why we bothered with children at all?" Severus inquired.  Andrew nodded slowly, and Severus returned it.  "I believe you'll find it decidedly ironic, Andrew, because the main reasons were to make up for my lackluster childhood, and to make up mistakes I had made in my past…mistakes that were impossible for me to correct in my own life but I hoped to find some sort of redemption by correcting them in all of yours.  You'll find that your mother had similar reasons, although less of the latter and more of the former since in some ways her childhood was even more dreary than mine."

  "And do you felt you succeeded in any of that?" Andrew asked quietly.

  "Not as well as I would have hoped, no," Severus admitted.  "I still have nightmares sometimes of that mess Aurelius got into, not to mention nightmares of you in that manure pile."  Andrew grimaced.  "Your mother's plans of providing her children with a home they didn't get chased out of like she had been didn't exactly go as planned either."

  "I guess not," Andrew murmured.  "Was it worth it?"

  "To be perfectly honest, Andrew, I have yet to decide," Severus said bluntly.  "Not that I'd give up any of you…short of a moment of frustration now and again.  And again," he said in a tone that made Andrew smile slightly.  "And I could probably give you a lot of reasons why parenthood should be avoided altogether, but you really don't need any more reasons than you've already got.  What I think you lack, Andrew, is the perspective to make that final decision.  You're still seeing it as how you felt when you were young, not how you feel now as an adult or how you may feel about it in ten years, or if you meet a girl who cures you of this insane pattern of yours, or how you'll feel when your mistakes and shortcomings begin to add up or your aches and pains start nagging you to the point that you feel the only shot at correcting them is through someone else.  You've simply chosen your job over family.  You're hardly the first.  In fact, when I started teaching, I don't think there was a married person on staff short of some who had already been widowed by Voldemort.  I need not tell you that in recent years that has changed dramatically.  Part of it Dumbledore's influence, refusing to let old proprieties get in the way of decisions that really wasn't the school's business.  Part of it being a less dangerous world than it was in those days, at least in appearance.  Part of it because of Dumbledore, Jennifer and myself taking on the board and proving that you can be an effective teacher even when you have a child in the classroom…" Severus said thinking back, but then shook his head.  "Some of the time, at any rate.  Of course, you know as well as I do that the rest of the staff have the benefit of having a partner who can stay home and attend to things there, and many head home nearly every night unless the workload dictates otherwise. 

  "Even so, being a parent when you're a Hogwarts professor is not an easy road.  But it's more than just the weekend visits, you know.  It's about scheduling your life, trusting others to look after certain affairs you would rather be seeing to yourself, and arming yourself with every watch, gem and gadget available to ease your mind that things are all right at home…and looking at them with undue frequency every hour of the day.  It's about coming home to find out your son or daughter learned to walk while you were gone, or say their first word…and later, read their first words.  It's about being called home at the most inopportune moments of the day or night because a child is stuck up the chimney or has disappeared and left the country or has broken both arms and was nearly squashed trying to climb up the ice box shelves," Andrew winced visibly. "It's about the relief you feel when you finally get to summer and get to spend some time home to get reacquainted without anything in the way…and it's also about the relief you feel when it's time to go back to work," he added wryly.  "It's about the Christmas after that summer holiday when everything you thought you learned about them during the summer is proved wrong because they've all moved on to other things.  Ultimately, it's about sacrifice, although I daresay that just goes with the territory of being a parent in general. 

  "But despite all of this, there is a silver lining of sorts.  For when the children get to be of eleven or twelve, when the rest of the parents our world are preparing to say goodbye to their children for sometimes months on end, entrusting their safety and welfare to perfect strangers, we're getting ready to welcome them.  While they sit and bite their nails and pull their hair out as we had been doing for the previous decade, we get to see them Sorted and snug into their houses mere rooms away.  And when the holidays come, they find the child they had sent to school is not the same one that arrived home, quickly losing their connection with them as they make their own ways to adulthood without them.  It is those teen years at Hogwarts where a child finally begins to truly understand and define their own self-identity, their aspirations, their strengths, and their weaknesses; but as a Hogwarts Professor, you are there to advise, to guide, and encourage worthwhile pursuits, and in some ways to live through them, and to be there to catch them if they fall.  That is the payoff, Andrew," Severus said quietly, Andrew's gaze appearing distant.

  "Well, yes, that, and the fact that I've noticed in some ways we have stayed a much closer family when you reached adulthood…while the majority of students I know graduated, had quick words with parents that didn't know them anymore, then got as far away from them as possible.  Well, there was Alicia, of course…but that's over now.  It'll be nice to have her nearby now that they're opening a studio in Hogsmeade.  Francis is under a Potent Water therapy Morfinn has them on so the two of them can try for a child, you know.  And I have a feeling that this 'year off' thing Alex has going is more to do with them wanting a second of their own rather than any of the other reasons they've been giving.  So I can say for a fact that I hardly need any more grandchildren, thank you, and if you have made up your mind, so be it.  Choose what you will, I only hope that you make an informed, thoughtful decision, not something one-sided or based on emotion.  And my concern about your not doing that, by the way, is why I personally care.  Now, if you don't mind, I should go downstairs and start this formula.  I will have it ready by tomorrow.  Come by whenever you like and pick it up, I'll keep it on me until then," Severus said, slipping out the door and leaving Andrew alone with his thoughts.

   Severus wasn't surprised when Andrew didn't come by the next day.  But true to his word, Severus stashed the potion in his cloak; knowing if Andrew came to him again, it would be a well thought out decision.


	6. Upstairs, Downstairs

_A/N Well, I finished the revisions on my personal doc copies of the series now, but it's going to take me a while to talk myself into the grueling task of uploading all those countless chapters and fixing my website...which needs a serious update anyhow. I do have a few notes to report, however: Diamonds of Time is now revised on fanfiction. Nixglen's banner is now added to the banner selections on my links page on my site. Also fixed Andrew's age in last chapter, which was a year off (and thanks to a heated debate with a fan over a particular character and why they were the age they were...I rechecked all the ages of all the kids throughout the series and fixed all inconsistencies there as well.) Anyhow, have the next chapter. I am only four chapters ahead at the moment since I stopped to do all that back editing work, but once I get back to my comfortable eight ahead, you should see a vast improvement in how long it has been taking me to get this book up. Thanks for your patience; it's a rather big series, after all. JCWriter._

Chapter Six

Upstairs, Downstairs

Francis found himself hugging the rail as the stairs began to move, then stared in surprise as Jennifer raced passed him despite the fact they were still swinging around.

"Slowpoke!" Jennifer teased when she got to the top, waiting for the next staircase to swing around and hopping over before they had even settled and up the next. He gaped at her openly a moment but she was quickly out of view, and he found he could simply stare and shake his head until the stair he was on finally secured itself to the landing and he was able to continue.

Severus waved the door open before she had gotten as far as the spiral stairs, but was too busy working on some last minute proposals for the board to look up as she walked in.

"Good morning, Professor," Jennifer said warmly. "And just why, might I ask, do you have wards over the back stairs?"

"To keep you from sneaking a peek at the lab, why else?" Severus said evenly, ignoring her pout. "No need to rush, is there? You'll be looking at it all year, and probably many more years to come."

"You simply like leaving me in suspense," Jennifer chided him. "By the way, Pyther is on his way up as well. He's waiting for the staircases."

"As should you," Severus said sternly. "But never mind, I have a couple of things to cover with you until he gets here. First off, don't forget we have that dinner and open house on Friday for select alumni to come and see the lab, so I'm going to need you to hold off the potion lists until then…you can always use the temporary lab for anything non-volatile, of course." Jennifer furrowed her brow.

"You are going to at least let me down there to start unpacking my office before then?" she asked.

"I wasn't planning on it, no. You usually spend the first couple of nights working in your sitting room anyhow, do you not?" Severus pointed out.

"Well, yes, but…I do think I deserve to see it before they do, at least!" Jennifer protested, not liking the look in Severus' face at all.

"I'm open to discussion on the topic," Severus said evenly. "But there is something else of a somewhat explosive nature I need to speak to you about, for I would like for you to add a particular potion to your fifth year agenda," he said, holding out a scroll.

"Something explosive? Trying to ruin our new lab before I even see it?" Jennifer chuckled, taking the scroll and unrolling it.

"Not explosive in a physical sense, Jennifer, but as far as the board is concerned," Severus said evenly, watching Jennifer's jaw drop when she glanced at the formula.

"You want me to start teaching them how to make Oat's Bane? Oh, come now, Severus, there is no way you could possibly get this approved with the board!" Jennifer said.

"I'm not planning on telling them, Jennifer. It is simply another potion formula, after all. Besides, you know as well as I that we have had a policy on that potion for years, since just after Dumbledore took over the job," Severus said calmly.

"Well, yes, they're available if you go to an advisor, so that they can also discuss the risks, ramifications and responsibilities…"

"And that policy isn't going to change, Professor Craw," Severus said firmly. "They will still only have access through an advisor when they're at school, and I'm certain that you'll see that policies regarding potion making outside of the lab will be enforced. But that said, it has not escaped my attention that we probably dodged a direct wandstrike with that whole Minute Alchemist thing. Outside of school, they wouldn't be able to buy the stuff from an alchemist without parental permission, which means they would be resorting to a catalog. We are extremely fortunate not to have had one or two cases among the students, and if you think about it, you know I'm correct. But if you show them how they are made, what's in them, why it works, and how to test their potions for potency to make _sure_ they work, I am hoping they will take that knowledge with them when they leave the school so that we won't have another incident of this large a scale again," Severus said. "And although I realize sixth or seventh year would cause less of a debate, you know as well as I do that most students drop the last two years of that class. Besides, having your class make it will keep you from having to restock that stuff when the shelves empty before Christmas," he added in a low voice, "but don't you dare teach it until I've had that last board meeting before the break."

"Very well, Professor. And you're right, you do have a point, I only hope the parents think so as well," Jennifer said with amusement.

"Do you seriously think any of the students would admit to their parents they knew how to make it?" Severus asked. Jennifer simply chuckled.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door and Severus waved it open and Francis stepped in, gazing at Jennifer thoughtfully.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked.

"No, almost finished here, although there's something I want to talk to you both about before she goes," Severus said, waving the door shut again.

"Actually, there's something I would like to mention too," Francis admitted, pointing at Jennifer and looking over at Severus questioningly. "Have you ever seen how she goes up those stairs?"

"Oh, yes, that. Professor Craw, it is against the rules for the students to jump the staircases, can't you please set a good example?" Severus frowned at her.

"There won't be any students here for two weeks," Jennifer protested.

"Yes, well, it'd also be nice if you'd stop just to prevent heart attacks from other staff members anytime they witness it, Jennifer. I swear, the woman won't ride a broom short of an emergency, and yet she takes those stairs as if they were put there simply to amuse her," Severus complained to Francis who grinned widely.

"What was it you wanted to talk to us about, Professor?" Jennifer asked quickly, ready to change the subject.

"We are going to have a rather…unique…student entering Hogwarts this year that you may or may not have to make certain accommodations for, depending on what you're teaching. Sagittari's youngest daughter Lyra will be Sorted this year," Severus explained.

"A centaur?" Francis said with surprise. "I didn't even know Sagittari had any children."

"He doesn't talk about it," Jennifer said, nodding to Francis. "He likes to keep his life in the constellation private."

"As you can imagine, the constellation is not happy with the current arrangements at all…in fact, they're protesting quite forcefully, to the point where there are not likely going to be any student classes inside the Dark Forest this year," Severus warned. "I have made it clear to them that I fully supported Sagittari's decision to remove his daughter from the constellation, and it has put the school at definite odds with them again. Lyra is staying with her father until the Sorting. Jennifer, I believe Sagittari will want to speak with you about her directly as well, concerning certain potions she may need to be on, so now might be a good time to get that over with."

"Good idea," Jennifer agreed and got up.

"Oh…um…can I speak to you later about your notes on item curses and countercurses, Jennifer?" Francis asked.

"Sure, I'll drop by your office when I'm done…since I don't have one of my own yet," she added dryly, darting an annoyed glance at Severus before leaving the room. Francis chuckled softly.

"She is certainly going to be glad to get back in a regular office again, isn't she?" he said.

"I should hope so, after all the last minute modifications I put on the thing," Severus said. "So, you are still planning on following Jennifer's old agenda for your class, I take it?"

"For the most part, sir, except for modifying the essay questions to look for humane solutions to the problems first, and doing away with those random fear drills. I do plan to put aside class time every day for them to practice defense against those spells forewarned, sir," he added quickly when he noticed Severus frown. "Also, I admit to being a bit hesitant on the section on cursed items. I really can't say I've had all that much exposure to them."

"I believe you'll find dealing with items a lot easier than you believe, Pyther, considering how many years you spent manipulating magic paint and canvas, which really is just another type of item manipulation," Severus pointed out. "But considering that part of the class shouldn't be handled without a staff spotter anyhow, I'm sure you can work something out with Jennifer and then go to Hermione to arrange some compatible schedules. Cursed items are not only Jennifer's highest expertise; it's practically a Craw birthright to have dealt with them, not to mention she's always been fascinated by the topic. If anything, you'll have a harder time getting her off the subject of cursed items if you bring them up at all to her."

"Sounds like I have little to worry about then," Francis chuckled, and Severus nodded to him.

"I would also like you to keep in your in-depth study of vampires and clans that you had in place last year. With Foncé so close, I want everyone kept on their toes, not that he would do anything to the school directly," Severus said.

"Yes, of course," Francis agreed somberly.

"Also, I'm not sure what sort of dark creature demonstrations you have planned for this upcoming year yet, but I would appreciate it if you stayed away from boggarts this time around. Teach them the chapter, of course, just no demonstrations," Severus said firmly.

"Sir, it this about this incident last year…" Francis began.

"No, it isn't, Francis, although I'm certain you'll remember to call the boggart out once before class as a test of what it might come out as before you ever try that tactic again," Severus said, then waved it off. "My concern is simply for one of the students going into third year who has had a severe trauma in her past that she is not yet ready to tackle something of that nature. Such a challenge right now would most likely worsen it, so I'd rather you avoid it for now."

"I see," Francis said quietly, nodding. "But…there is something I must ask you, sir…"

"I'm hardly stopping you," Severus frowned at him.

"Well I merely want to make certain that your concern over Lucky is an administrative one, and not a parental one," Francis asked. Severus squinted at him.

"I never said which student I was concerned about, Mr. Pyther," Severus said flatly.

"No, sir, you didn't have to," Francis said quietly. "Since we've gotten back, short of what time I've put in helping Alicia with the studio, I've spent most of the summer with the family getting reacquainted, and attempting to get to know Lucky…attempting being the operative term. She'll interact with others, but isn't really willing to participate. She has strange bouts of aggression, which she tempers through inanimate objects whether it is a ball, video game, or anything she can get a hold of and throw. She flinches when anyone even accidentally touches her. If you try and show any sort of affection for the girl she, shrinks away as if not wanting to be there, yet if she feels challenged in the slightest, she will bolster herself up like a starved animal whose been backed into a corner. She also has a very fierce desire to control everything around her, including bossing around her friends, although they seem quite tolerant of it. And not only that, when she does play a game with the others, she won't play anything unless she knows she has the advantage going in."

"Well then, Francis, considering your own observations on the matter, what's your opinion from her teacher's point of view, considering you're not sure you trust mine?" Severus asked.

"I never said I didn't trust it, I merely asked a question," Francis said defensively. "And I'm hardly unbiased, either," he added, but then grew quiet as he thought it over. Finally he nodded. "I accept that it's probably for the best for right now, but in so saying, I don't really think it's necessarily healthy for her to keep going on like this."

"Yes, I agree with you in principle, Francis," Severus mused. "But she is only now getting to the age where she's questioning herself more, and I am hoping to give her a chance for her to start exploring those old wounds naturally."

"Yes, well, good luck with that," Francis said dryly.

"She'll make her own luck as she always does," Severus shrugged, before turning back to his agenda.

As always, staff came in and out as they arrived to get their updates, and Severus was glad to be able to turn to other duties; especially the upcoming open house. Jennifer continued to get more and more anxious; frustrated that Severus parried all her often underhanded attempts of coaxing him to let her see it early. Finally she stopped altogether, sensing just how much he was enjoying it, and buried herself in her work to try and keep her mind off it, despite the fact that work simply proved to be an even more constant reminder that she couldn't get in her regular office yet. Fortunately, her meeting with Francis about items had been more effective, so that Friday morning she quickly made plans to keep the hours from seeming interminable.

Severus looked up in surprise when she stepped in his study from the back in her new black dress and burgundy wool coat, unmistakably dressed to go out for the day.

"Are you planning on going somewhere?" Severus frowned.

"Pyther and I are heading to Knockturn for cursed items for his classes. Need anything?" Jennifer asked.

"No, I was rather hoping you would stay for breakfast this morning, actually," Severus said disappointedly, not looking up from his work.

"I'd rather get this done early when they're slow and we have the place to ourselves. Besides, you know it's less likely to bump into the normal patrons of that alley this time of day and I could do without the extra distraction," Jennifer said, checking her wand in her cuff anyhow. "I'll be back for lunch, though, Severus," she added diplomatically. Severus shrugged.

"Fine, have it your way, but I warn you I'm not likely to be in the mood for 'pink porridge' at noon," Severus said curtly as he reread the proposal in his hand and signed it.

Jennifer had only taken two steps before she stopped cold in her tracks and turned around again, wide-eyed.

"What did you say?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm quite certain you heard me," Severus said evenly, putting the paper aside and grabbing the next. "Well, go on, have a nice morning shopping, if that's what you prefer."

"Well I'm…sure I can spare an hour or so for breakfast," Jennifer said quickly. "I'll go let Pyther know…"

"One moment," Severus said, and Jennifer turned around with a pout, wondering if he had changed his mind, but he simply glanced expressionlessly at her before turning his attention towards one of the paintings on the wall. "Armando, could you please tell Francis I had some school business for Professor Craw to attend to and she'll meet him in an hour?"

"Yes, Headmaster," the painting of Dippet said with a cordial nod. Jennifer broke into a smile as he got up.

"You really didn't think I was going to wait until the public got to go down there, did you?" Severus asked her with a raised brow.

"As a matter of fact, you were making me wonder, especially with all your Occlumency attempts lately…" Jennifer complained.

"What, and spoil the surprise? Besides, I felt I needed the practice, I've been getting rusty lately," Severus admitted as they walked out of the study and down the back stairs.

After they had taken a few steps. Jennifer frowned in frustration, staring at him.

"Don't tell me you're planning on walking down all fifteen flights of stairs?" Jennifer exclaimed in exasperation.

"Is there any other way?" Severus said innocently.

"Don't you give me that, I know very well that Albus taught you a way to skip floors," Jennifer scolded him.

"Yes, but I could use the exercise," Severus commented, and Jennifer glared at him, realizing he was enjoying her impatience, especially when he made a point to slow down on the last couple of flights.

"Severus, really!" Jennifer said as she waited next to his seal on the last flight of stairs. He smirked softly at her but finally took out his wand.

"Now, don't you dare go barreling in there without me," Severus said before he negated the field on the stairs and quickly grabbed a hold of her arm to make certain of it. Sighing loudly with exasperation, Jennifer reluctantly allowed him to dictate the pace down the stairs, managing to wrestle away as they got to the bottom so she could run over and pop the door open.

She ignored the large room, polished floors, and arched pillars that reinforced the ceiling. She didn't even give a cursory look to the Freeze Frame or the ingredient shelves or the new student lab tables or desk or even the built-in glass cages in the walls for snakes to be milked or mice to be tested. She was not really even interested in the fine oak carved door that undoubtedly led to her office. Instead her eyes were on four large shuttered windows set four feet off the floor, each painted in a different house color.

Immediately she strode over to the blue one, admiring the bronze eagle knobs as she pulled the shutters open, and then a second later pulled open the knobs on the two windows behind them, letting in the lake breezes. Grinning happily she quickly opened all the others before noticing at the very top of the outside wall near the ceiling was another line of small narrow windows stained intermittently in the four house colors running the length of the room.

"Do those open?" Jennifer asked.

"Don't you think there's enough of a breeze in here as it is?" Severus inquired. Jennifer flashed him a grin.

"I was only asking," Jennifer said.

"Yes, well, as a matter of fact they do, in case you need ventilation in the winter or during the flood season," Severus admitted. "I had this style put in so that you can still darken the room if needed for light sensitive potions and the like…don't you want to look at the rest of the room?"

"I love it," Jennifer said happily, glancing around from where she leaned on the window frame. "It really is perfect! And is it just me, or is it bigger than it used to be?"

"Yes, it is," Severus admitted, wandering closer to the oak door. "In fact, some of this part of the room is where the door to your office used to be."

"Come to think of it," Jennifer said, turning around and putting her hands on her hips as she tried to remember where the old wall was to compare to the new one. "What did you do about my office, did you stick me in a closet?"

"I may have filled in the storage room above to make some extra space, especially since it was safer to move the stuff we kept there anyhow in case Mr. Chance decided to grace us with an encore," Severus said.

"He had better not!" Jennifer swore fervently.

"Yes, well, he'd have to make something ten times worse to be able to do it, never fear," Severus reassured her, leaning on the office door. "The castle would crumble before this lab blows again."

"I suppose we'll just have to see about that," Jennifer teased him contentedly, walking back over to him. "So what about the office?"

"Oh, you wanted to see that as well?" Severus said, feigning surprise.

"You did say something about porridge," Jennifer reminded him.

"I might have, come to think of it, although I'm not sure what possessed me to mention it considering how much I hate the stuff," Severus mused casually, ignoring the dirty look his wife was giving him for the obvious stall. Severus glanced at the painting of Glen Witolf on the door. "May we never again give Greek Fire a Chance," Severus said. The old man's eyes sparkled with amusement as the door opened, while Jennifer couldn't help but chuckle softly at the password before she walked in, stopping just inside the door.

It was a great deal larger than her old office, that much was certain; with a full lab set up at the very back of the room below two small circular windows and behind a large desk identical to the one in the classroom. Four ornate bookshelves rose up to the vaulted ceiling on the left wall, two filled with books and two filled with her most frequently used ingredients; while across from them sat a stone hearth wide enough to fit two cauldrons over it at the same time. On the mantle perched four iron statues of a bat, owl, basilisk and Stymphalian, and on either side of it were thick, reinforced doors carved with alchemist symbols. A couch and a pair of chairs sat in front of the hearth on the edge of a large Ravenclaw Crest rug that covered most of the center of the floor, while above the mantle hung the portrait of Severus Snape, who had paused in his reading to watch Jennifer inspect the room with a thin smile on his face.

"Adequate, I hope?" the actual Severus asked expressionlessly, watching her.

"The windows are too small," Jennifer said at last, wandering her hand over the tops of the mantle and furniture as if convincing herself it was all there.

"The windows are too small?" Severus repeated with feigned exasperation, putting his hands on his hips. "A full Excelsior lab, an office bigger than anyone else's short of my own, a full-sized alchemist's hearth and a climate controlled component storage room that I would have killed for when I was Potion Master, and the first words out of your mouth are that the windows are too small?" Jennifer grimaced apologetically. "I had hoped that the higher ceilings might have placated that complaint some, and I am sorry, but for security reasons it simply wasn't possible. Not only did I put some extra protections in here to keep students from sneaking in for things they shouldn't be getting into, but there was also the Cauldron to consider."

"Wait a moment. Where is the Cauldron? Still at the Ministry?" Jennifer asked with a frown, looking at the wood laden hearth.

"Not at all," Severus said, walking over to the hearth and pulling down the owl statue while turning the bat a quarter turn to the left. A soft grinding noise could be heard, and Jennifer watched in amazement as the inside of the hearth swung around to reveal Dagda's Cauldron on the opposite side. "It's kept in a blast-protected iron box when you don't need it, charmed and cursed. I also had it connected to one of the portraits in the Headmaster Study in case we need to get it out of there in an emergency. You can also send it directly up there using these," he said, laying a hand on the basilisk statue.

"Fantastic," Jennifer said in appreciation. "And with every situation you can think of secured against no doubt."

"I had John test it for me, and I added a few extras to make sure that anyone attempting to alter it would set an alarm off, like a certain Number Turner we know," Severus said, Jennifer grinning at him knowingly. "The doors have those in place as well. I modeled them after the door to the Research Library," he explained, going over to the one nearest the lab and opening it. Jennifer peered in to the storage vault, perfectly organized with rotating shelves in the corners and large bins and barrels on the floor and smaller and lighter ingredients carefully labeled and stored above them. Jennifer glanced at the heavy door and back into the vault with a frown. "Oh, don't worry, I had these installed on all the doors as well," Severus said when he noticed her expression, showing her a long golden hook dangling from the knob. He pulled the door back and let the hook fall over into a large brass ring that Jennifer hadn't noticed before, holding the door open. "So no more damaging the chairs attempting to keep the doors open, if you don't mind."

"You really have thought of everything!" Jennifer grinned lovingly at him, glancing around again. "Wait a moment, where does this other door go to?"

"It's a shortcut door, actually, like the one in my sitting room," Severus said calmly.

"I suppose it connects to the secret passage?" Jennifer mused.

"No, that one I redirected to the corridor outside. The door is charmed just like this one, only it will only open for you and myself. The potion vault will open for senior staff and hospital staff," Severus said.

"Well, where does it lead to then? My sitting room?" Jennifer asked, but then realized she hadn't seen a door in there.

"Why don't you try it and find out?" Severus suggested with a sigh. Jennifer flashed him another grin and went over to the door, turning the handle and opening it wide only to gasp in surprise as sunlight poured in.

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer cried out in surprise and elation before she ran out onto the parapet and stared over the side in amazement as she looked out over the forest and lake, hearing above her the rustling of owls above the Perch. Calmly Severus walked out beside her, soon finding Jennifer in his arms and giving him an enthusiastic kiss. "I can't believe you did this! Oh, but what about all those security concerns of yours?"

"It was safer than having the windows enlarged, trust me. And as you can see, you can barely even tell the door is there from this side unless it is open," Severus said, gesturing over to the castle wall. The only difference from how it was now was the addition of an iron bat doorknocker holding a large iron ring. "And if anyone other than myself or you attempt to use it, I'll hear it. That is a suitable compromise, I hope?"

"Suitable?" Jennifer laughed. "Adequate? It's perfect, Severus! Absolutely perfect! Perhaps we should have blown up the lab a long time ago," she said mischievously, kissing him again. "Care to break it in?"

"Do you suppose Pyther would notice if you were late?" Severus mused.

"Oh, drat, I almost forgot about that," Jennifer chuckled softly. "Well, I suppose that'll have to wait for now. Shall we head back inside?"

"If you insist," Severus said, turning the ring and pulling the door open.

"I'm not insisting," Jennifer said flirtatiously, but went inside anyway and grabbing a bowl of porridge.

* * *

"I can't wait until everyone gets to see it," Jennifer said excitedly just after she and Francis Apparated into Knockturn Alley, pausing only long enough to survey the area before picking up the conversation where they had left off. "Although I hope the board doesn't think Severus went overboard on some of the improvements."

"I imagine they will," Francis chuckled, "especially from what you have been telling me, he did get a bit carried away."

"So what else is new? You know how he gets," Jennifer chuckled back as they walked to the pawnshop. "At least they can't complain about the lab equipment…Severus paid for that out of our money. He knew for certain they'd have a fit about that one considering there are less expensive brands out there, but Severus prefers precision," Jennifer said.

"Well, you could always justify it by writing a paper or something this year," Francis suggested, opening the door for her.

"With all I have to do!" Jennifer frowned at him. "Although I do admit I have been meaning to write a follow up on my research on dream potions, but for some reason I really didn't have the time last year," Jennifer said dryly.

"Perhaps it'll be quieter this year," Francis said, following her in.

"Now, don't jinx it!" Jennifer protested, gesturing in the air as if making a ward against it. "I'd like a nice quiet year to recover, if you don't mind."

"Ah, Professor Craw," Mr. Borkin said, coming out of the back with a thin, greasy smile. "Doing some early shopping, are we?"

"Yes, I'm here to help Pyther pick out some things to use for his Defense classes," Jennifer said, and Borkin turned to look at the man beside her in surprise. "Anything interesting come in lately?"

"Perhaps one or two you might be intrigued with, yes," Borkin said, not taking his eyes off of Francis. "So that's you, is it, Mr. Pyther? I wouldn't have recognized you."

"Yes, it's like night and day, isn't it?" Jennifer said mischievously before they turned their attention to the cursed sparring glove he brought out from under the counter.

It took the greater part of the afternoon to find a good assortment of items; and admittedly, Jennifer knew she had picked up a few at the last minute that was really more than they needed but was too good to pass up. After a cursory inspection of each and making sure none of them were crested, they loaded them up in Jennifer's Puzzlebox and hurried back to the school to get ready for the dinner.

Hearing the door open, Severus peered into Jennifer's sitting room, frowning at her as she set the box on her desk.

"Cutting it close, aren't we?" he frowned at her, putting away his watch.

"I know, I know, but you should have seen some of the things that came in! The Ministry must be running raids again…can you grab me a dress, Severus? Something from the left hand side," Jennifer said distractedly, making sure her Puzzlebox was locked before putting a quick ward around it. "You know, we ought to get Pyther a Puzzlebox of his own for Christmas. He really oughtn't be without one even if he does only stay another year, and mine was already full before this. I found everything from a toothbrush that makes the victim's teeth all fall out after one use to a sparring glove with a clumsiness curse on it." Severus stepped back in the doorway and gave her a dirty look.

"Can't you possibly find items that aren't going to give students ideas?" Severus complained. Jennifer chuckled.

"Well, it isn't if we're showing them how to curse them, just how to counter them, Severus," Jennifer said, ignoring the dubious look on his face as he held out a dress on a hanger. "And really, if they did try to pull it, there will be a whole class of other students ready to dispel it," she pointed out, taking the dress and sighing with exasperation at his choice, glancing at the back of the dress. "You would grab this one, Severus Snape, it has two dozen buttons down the back," she tsked, trying to get past him to pick another, but he leaned on the door, blocking her path.

"Yes, that's why I picked it," he said with a sinister smile.

"Oh, no, you don't, not with a room full of board members and ministry officials, you won't," Jennifer said, shifting to the other side only to have him lean in front of her again, crossing his arms in response.

"So you're saying you don't trust me?" he asked expressionlessly.

"No, I don't," Jennifer said primly. "And stop trying to bait me, you know we're running behind as it is."

"I was here on time. You weren't," Severus said. "But since _you _are running behind, shouldn't you be getting ready instead of attempting to pick a fight?"

"If you weren't being difficult I wouldn't be tempted to pick a fight," Jennifer replied.

"I'm being difficult? You're the one who asked me to pick something out; you have only yourself to blame if you don't like the choice. Or are you simply protesting it because you've worn it once already?" he mused. Jennifer bit her tongue before she could say what was really on her mind as a thin challenging smile began to creep across his face. Deciding the safest course of action was to say nothing at all, Jennifer snatched up the dress and simply stuck her nose up in the air and stomped off to the bathroom.

Just like many functions of handshakes and hobnobbing, the alumni dinner was an uncomfortable affair for the Headmaster; full of forced politeness and cordialness to many whom under normal circumstances neither he nor his wife would ever stop to converse with. Of their own accord, the guests gravitated towards the tables of their old houses with the exception of a handful who jumped tables because of marriage or politics. But fortunately, they all seemed to be on their best behavior, so Jennifer, constantly glancing up to scan faces in case something went amiss, didn't leave his side until they began the short planned tour of some of the improvements Severus had added to the main floors of the castle over the last few years. It was then she took up the rear to discourage strays, with Harry and Aurelius both close at hand as well. If anyone had noticed the precaution, none of them really said; not even the Minister of Magic Draco Malfoy, who was doing everything in his power to pretend that Potter especially wasn't there at all. Thomas Craw for his part was quite indifferent to the whole thing; and only Norman Balmweed of the board displayed any open discomfort over the precautions.

"What sort of trouble does the Headmaster expect at an event like this, I wonder," Norman murmured to Erik Dalance as they walked down the corridors towards the back stairs.

"Knowing Severus, I'd say any sort," Erik whispered back with amusement. Hermione, who had been walking with them, simply paused and waited for them to catch up with her a smile, furthering Norman's suspicions, while in the very back of the group Jennifer played distractedly with her buttons, making sure they were all fastened.

"As you can see, we've had the stairwell reinforced, and have also added a dead area right above the lab as well, not that I expect anything like what happened to happen again with all the improvements we've made," Severus said as he stepped down them. "We've also added more drainage pipes under this part of the castle for flood control, since it needed to be done and the foundation here had to be rebuilt in any case."

"Aren't you going in?" Norman asked when Harry and Aurelius stepped to either side of the Potion Lab door.

"We'll have plenty of time to see it later," Harry assured him with a smile, nodding to Erik, Hermione and Ron on their way inside followed by the rest of the crowd. Jennifer smiled at them as she walked in behind them, but then Harry noticed something and tapped on her shoulder at the last moment, whispering something to her. Immediately Jennifer's hand went to her back and she blushed, slipping in with her back against the wall as she fixed her buttons.

"Honestly, can't they behave even at school functions?" Aurelius muttered with exasperation, rolling his eyes as he watched his mother take her place near the shelves.

"Someday it's going to get you too, you know," Harry murmured back with a grin.

"Not even remotely likely," Aurelius retorted vehemently, making Harry look even more amused as he glanced in to watch the group admiring the new lab.

"Well, Severus, this new lab is quite impressive," Mr. Coventry said with obvious appreciation. "Although I must admit, it does look a lot more like your original proposal than the one we agreed upon," he added knowingly.

"The rest of it was finished from private funding, Abraxas, including our own," Severus said evenly. "What the budget and fundraiser didn't cover, we had others fill in the gaps. That along with a small security grant from the Ministry went a long way to make up the difference."

"Really?" Abraxas said with surprise, glancing at Draco.

"On behalf of the Artifacts Department," Draco said dryly. "It was brought to my attention that it'd be more cost effective to donate to the Cauldron's protection than it would be if something happened and Craw's department had to try and retrieve it."

"Less time consuming, too," Thomas agreed with a nod.

"Sounds intriguing! Are we going to see it?" Norman put in hopefully.

"No, we have it put away at the moment, but I'll show you the office if you like," Severus said calmly, ignoring Balmweed's frown.

Jennifer shook her head slightly, her thoughts going back to that day she had gotten Dagda's Cauldron back from the Fomorians. Even with Equinox disbanded, Balmweed had always voiced concerns about keeping any of the parts of the seal in the school's control, let alone all four; regardless of the fact that three of the current Sentinels resided there. With the gate restored, did it really even matter anymore? Not that anyone besides Merlin himself used it…a curious feeling went through her then, and she frowned slightly, wondering why. But just as she was considering joining some of the others who had gone into her office with Severus, she heard someone running down the stairs and looked up to see Bill Weasley talking with Aurelius and Harry. Glancing over at the others, she hurried over to the door.

"Something wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"Someone just tried to break into the Craw vault," Bill said in a low voice.

"What?" Jennifer said in surprise, a lot louder than she intended. Several of the people still standing in the lab looked over curiously. "Who was it?" she said, lowering her voice.

"We don't know. The bank doesn't see any inventory discrepancies, but Griphook wants you to come down right away and double check, considering…"

"Considering the only things left in that vault are all cursed?" Jennifer said with a sigh, glancing at the crowd. "Give me a minute to corner Severus and Dad. This is all I need right now."

"We'll stay here and watch things here, Jennifer," Harry assured her before she worked her way through the crowd. A moment later, Jennifer and Thomas hurried back out of the pack without a word, leaving Severus with the grueling task of curbing the excited murmur that began with their quick exit.


	7. Unpunctuality

_A/N Princess of Gold has been updated on this site with the new revisions._

Chapter Seven

Unpunctuality

After tearing the house up several days in a row to try to find her rabbit, Lucky reluctantly resigned herself to the fact that Houdini simply didn't want to be found. Her footlocker was packed; all her new books, equipment, and robes neatly laid at the top, but the cage was still empty. Every hat in the house had been turned inside out, and even Alex's familiar, Tes, had had no luck in tracking him down, despite the fact that the food in his dish seemed to empty out on its own.

"He has to still be here," Alex said for the tenth time that morning, looking under the crib and above the icebox and everywhere else they might have missed. "Well, we have to head for the train, Lucky, missing or not. I really don't know what's gotten into him. He's always been so laid back whenever I've spoken with him. Maybe you ought to try and ask Doctor Sagittari about it when you get settled at the school. He might have some ideas," she suggested, picking up Janus who burbled in response. "No, it's not your rabbit. Yes, we're going bye-bye now. Come on, Lucky! I promise I'll send him along whenever I find him."

The fact that Alex had the use of the car that day turned out to be a mixed blessing. The trunk wouldn't quite fit right in the trunk, and she finally had to resort to tying it down.

"There's no way we can risk minimizing one of these trunks with all the sensitive alchemy equipment back there. Not only would it ruin it, but it might blow up the car at the same time," Alex explained when Lucky commented on it. "Remind me of this the next time I try and talk Ben into getting into the trust vault for a second car. We really need a minivan or something."

"I thought you guys were saving what was left in that for a down payment on a house?" Lucky asked once they were buckled in.

"Yes, I know, but every time I've brought the subject up with Father about helping us find a hybrid house, he always finds an argument for us staying," Alex admitted. "And regardless of what Mum thinks on the transportation issue, there are simply too many things in normal London I need to do to try and make do with one car, because toting babies through the tubes is just not time effective and I can't always find a floo close enough to make it worthwhile trying it that way."

"Yeah," Lucky said, nodding in understanding. "'Sides, I think the Professor keeps talkin' ya out of it because he likes having someone in the house all year round."

"Just as well, and I hope he doesn't change his mind in the near future," Alex admitted with a grin. "Don't tell Ben, but I've only brought the subject up to Mum and Father to make sure they were still okay with us being there rather than actually wanting to leave."

"Someone's gotta hold down the fort," Lucky said with a shrug.

"Hold down the fort," Alex repeated the unfamiliar expression with a grin. "Well, I suppose that is what we're doing, isn't it?" she chuckled, before turning her full attention back to the road, frowning at the heavy traffic thoughtfully. "Oh great, just what we don't need right now."

As bad as the traffic was, the parking situation proved to be even worse. When they finally squeezed in, Alex threw on a backpack-like contraption to put Janus in and helped Lucky untie her trunk.

"This place is a madhouse today," Alex swore, Lucky simply nodding as she concentrated on holding up her end of the trunk. "And look at that crowd over there!"

Lucky groaned loudly when she noticed a large pack of mostly teenage girls packed in front of the station holding up signs of "We love you, Second Chance!" and "Bon voyage, we'll miss you!" and even one that declared, "Dear Second Chance, let me be your first!" Alex had paused a moment to stare at them, but then noticed Lucky's seething expression and broke into a grin.

"You know, I could be wrong, but for some strange reason I get the feeling your friend Dale is around somewhere," Alex said, Lucky giving her a dirty look in response. "I wonder how they got tipped off? I bet you knuts on the galleon that the Ministry did not want them knowing he was leaving today."

"No sh…" Lucky stopped short when she saw the look Alex gave her, daring her to finish it. "Never mind him, what time is it?"

"We've got ten minutes tops," Alex sighed, fudging a little magic when nobody was looking to pull out an empty cart out of nowhere so they could hurry to the platform, Janus lodging his own complaints on all of the jostling. "I am sorry, and I do know it's noisy, but we'll be out of here soon, don't worry!" she told him as they hurried over to the platforms.

As they got near, Lucky noticed the two wizards with nice suits and beards she had seen at the football pitch pushing a cart with a trunk and an owl cage at a rapid pace just in front of where they were.

"Hiya, Lucky!" said a voice near her ear. Lucky turned around swinging to hit someone invisible standing just behind her, letting off a small cloud of dust. Alex turned with a sigh to see what was holding her up. "Hey, watch it! This stuff comes off pretty easy, you know!"

"Come on, Lucky! You can talk to Dale on the train!" Alex exclaimed with exasperation, tugging on the cart to get her to keep moving.

"Dale? Where?" a girl that had been scoping the platform called out. Dale's two guards suddenly turned and gave Alex a dirty look.

"Whoops," Alex chuckled nervously.

"Come on, Lucky, let's make a run for it!" Dale said, and she felt him beside her pushing on her cart. The girl and several of her friends began to run through the area, nearly bumping into them in the process as they made for the platform.

"Look! Aren't those his guards?" one of the girls asked excitedly. Seeing the attention of the crowd on them, one of the guards gave Dale's cart a strong shove towards the platform. As the girls came crowding in, Alex ran for the cart, catching it before it could veer away and pushing it inside.

"Man, that was close!" Dale's voice said from beside Alex as he helped her stop the cart on the other side.

"Never mind that, just get on the train! You too, Lucky, I don't want to hear it from Mum if you're not on it!" Alex scolded, trying to calm Janus who hadn't appreciated the excitement at all.

"Come on, Lucky!" Dale said, dusting off some of the Chameleon Powder as they pushed their carts over, quickly unloading hers and nudging her towards the train before tossing his own trunk on as the last whistle blew. Inside, Lucky noticed a pair of redheaded girls sticking their heads out of one of the compartments, looking a bit relieved to see her.

"We were beginning to wonder if you were going to make it," Helena Weasley said, pulling her inside.

"Ya, me too. We ran into Dale's welcoming committee outside," Lucky snorted.

"You came with Dale?" Connie asked. Lucky blinked at her.

"Not together!" Lucky protested loudly, the two girls smirking at each other. "We ran into each other on the platform, that's all."

"Heya guys," Dale said from the doorway, looking quite strange. He hadn't yet gotten all the powder off so only seemed to be partially there, with patches of the train visible through his midsection. "Sorry about that mess out there, Lucky, I know it was a little crazy. It's bad enough having to bring my guards with me to the terminal. I swear it makes me feel like I'm opening for ZZ Top," he said. Lucky smirked, while the other two girls just grinned back unknowingly. "I'm going to go see if Bobby saved me a seat. If not, can I sit with you guys?"

"Sure," Connie said before Lucky could think up a protest.

"Thanks, I'll go check," Dale said, disappearing out of the doorway.

"So what is all the business in the paper about, Lucky?" Helena asked the moment he disappeared. "About Gringotts having a breach of security and all of that?"

"How would I know?" Lucky shrugged.

"Because our father slipped and told us that whoever got down to that level was trying to get into the Craw vault," Connie said. "And everyone knows there's all sorts of evil stuff in there."

"Ya, I'm not allowed to go down there," Lucky admitted. "But don't worry. Alex told me nuthin' was taken out of it. Jackie and her Dad went through every single item when they found out about it to see if any of them went off."

"Went off?" Helena asked with a frown.

"Sure, lots of them are cursed so that if anyone without Craw blood handles them they'll get cursed. The goblins could tell that nothing was taken out. They know that the door was opened by someone unauthorized, but they can't tell whether or not an item might have gone off. It took 'em most of the night, too, because Jackie dropped by the house at five in the morning to tell Alex about it. She also said it hadn't been the first time something like this had happened either, and last time it was a goblin. They're immune to a lot of dark wizard curses, so they're wondering if it could have been another one. There's a team of Enforcers looking into it. The goblins aren't too happy about it," Lucky explained.

"That much we know," Connie nodded. "The goblins want to handle it internally, but Minister Draco and Minister Craw are very worried about what would happen if anyone got in there again."

"I'd like to know what exactly it was they were looking for in there," Helena said. Lucky shrugged.

"It could have been in there. Alex said they weren't sure if they were lookin' for something they didn't find, or they got in there and realized they couldn't safely get it out because of either the curses on the items or the curses that goblins put down there to keep people from casting spells," Lucky said.

"Most goblins can't cast spells, so I doubt that that'd be an issue," Connie pointed out.

"Grandfather knows one that can. But he's still in jail," Lucky said.

"Wait a minute, what about a Number Turner?" Connie asked thoughtfully, glancing at Lucky. "You use magic to open doors and things, but do you actually cast a spell?"

"I dunno," Lucky said, growing thoughtful. "I just…actually, I don't think I can really e'splain it. I can just see how it's locked and then I just make it turn the right way so it's unlocked."

"Do you suppose you could get a vault door open?" Helena asked.

"I dunno, I've never tried," Lucky shrugged.

"Well, all the same, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a Number Turner," Connie decided.

"All I know is, it wasn't me, and the Ministry is working on it, so what business is it of ours, anyhow?" Lucky asked.

"We were just concerned for your family's sake, Lucky," Connie said. "I mean, if they're looking for a Craw item and couldn't find it, who knows what they might do next? They might even come to the school."

"Only a complete fool would try and get into that castle with Headmaster Snape is in charge," Helena snorted. "Dad says he's gotten rather paranoid over the years with all that's happened, and because of that the security at Hogwarts is even tighter than Gringotts."

"That may be, but someone still walked into Gringotts, didn't they? So who's to say it's going to be enough?" Connie pointed out, Lucky becoming more thoughtful. Just then, Dale came back in with drinks and a bag of candy.

"I'm back, but not empty handed," Dale said, passing them around before plopping down next to Lucky, who glowered at him for daring to return at all. "Man, am I beat! So what have you girls been talking about?"

"The bank break-in," Connie said. "It was the Craw vault, but they didn't get anything apparently."

"Really?" Dale frowned, glancing at Lucky. "Man, I hope they don't come to the school next. But then, knowing the Professor he'll be ready if they try it."

"Then we got nuthin' to worry about, right?" Lucky said, setting the drink aside and pulling out a deck of cards. "Anybody wanna play?"

"Only if you promise not to cheat," Connie said knowingly.

"Cheat? I don't cheat!" Lucky snorted, the two girls staring at her dubiously. "What you think, guys? Wizard gin? Hearts? Euchre? Poker? Pick your poison."

"Well, whatever we play, it looks like we're going to have a dead hand," Helena said, glancing over at Dale who had made the mistake of leaning his head against the seat and had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Poker it is, then," Lucky said with a shrug, shuffling once and dealing out.

* * *

"Father, it itches, can't I please take it off?" Lyra complained, stamping a front hoof with irritation as she tugged at her robe.

"We are not going through this again," Sagittari frowned at her, making certain her buttons her still in place. "It is inappropriate for you to go to school without a shirt on. You will simply have to learn how to tolerate it. Put down your book satchel, you won't need it until tomorrow. Come, we must walk around the lake."

"It still seems rather silly considering its closer to the castle from here," Lyra complained but followed him out.

"They have their traditions just as we have ours, Lyra. The sooner you adapt to them the happier you will be," Sagittari said.

"I was happy where I was," Lyra grumbled.

"Did you not say you wanted to learn magic, Lyra?" Sagitarri frowned at her attitude disapprovingly.

"Well, yes, I do, Father, but I don't see why you can't just teach me," Lyra said wistfully.

"The professors of Hogwarts can teach you much better than I," Sagitarri said solemnly. Lyra sighed but didn't comment any longer. Stopping only now and again to gaze at the sky or glance at the Kraken splashing about in the lake only to be scolded for lagging behind.

A whistle blew ahead and Sagittari broke into a gallop, Lyra calling out in surprise before hurrying up behind just as the train began to slow to pull into the station. She gaped at the creature in amazement. What manner of beast was this? But her father showed no fear of it at all and simply watched it calmly, so Lyra stood her ground, wishing her father had brought the Spear in case it decided to turn on her.

Just then the students began to come off in droves, some waving at Sagittari and smiling curiously at her while others gasped when they saw her and began talking excitedly as they walked by. Most of their exclamations of surprise were drowned out by her father, calling out for the other first years. Lyra found herself soon surrounded by a pack of wide-eyed students, some surprised to see any sort of centaur at all, while the rest seemed curious about what she was doing here.

"Are you Doctor Sagittari's daughter?" a golden-haired girl asked with surprise. "Are you supposed to be here?"

"I am Lyra, daughter of Gemini under the fallen sky," Lyra said warily, stepping back a bit and making some of the other students scatter to get out of her way.

"I'm Winnie Brim…Taurus of Hidden Mars. Are you really going to Hogwarts too?"

"Miss Brim!" Sagittari called out with a sigh, and Winnie realized it was the second time he had called her name, quickly lining up where he indicated as he went down the rest of the list.

"I'm Josh Liffey," said a boy on the other side of her. "Are there many centaurs at Hogwarts?" he asked.

"No, most live in the Dark Forest," Lyra said. "What sky were you born under?"

"Haven't the foggiest," Josh said with a shrug, and then heard his name called. Lyra watched him with a frown, then noticed several of the new students were hanging back, staring at her and whispering to each other. She was debating going over there when she heard her name called as well.

"Lyra of Gemini," Sagittari said solemnly, pointing her to her own row before sorting the rest of the students into groups for the boats. "We had best load you in first, Lyra, the rest may fill in around you," he said, holding out her hand to help her in. The boat swayed dangerously as she got on, and it took a great deal of coaxing to get her calmed down and standing in the center of the boat while Josh and the three others assigned to the boat glanced at each other, grimly wondering if they were even going to make it to the other side. But finally they were on their way and the students gazed up at the castle as they drew nearer; some excited, some filled with awe, and Lyra, who found it so foreign that she really didn't feel much at all.

* * *

Jennifer and Ginny raced down to the Great Hall, running so late that even Ginny risked a short jump between staircases, the lack of lingering students further reminding them of the time as they slipped in the back. Severus glanced over at them, waiting for them to take their places before they sat down just as Hermione peered in the main doors checking to see if they were ready.

"Cutting it close again, are we?" Severus murmured to Jennifer, who grimaced in reply.

It wasn't as if he hadn't any idea what her week had been like after spending half her normal preparation time running between Gringotts and the Ministry only to have nothing to show for it. None of the devices inside had gone off. Nothing seemed out of place. There was, in fact, such a lack of evidence except for the fact the alarm on the door went off that Knobgait and the rest of the bank board had decided the only explanation was a false alarm. Jennifer, however, wasn't convinced any more than her father was. It was much too soon to rule anything out; the bank simply didn't want to deal with another political conflict with the wizards right now.

Movement caught the corner of her eye and she looked over to see Ambrose Bailey trying to get Lucky's attention at the other table. She sighed and shook her head slightly, glancing beside her to see Severus giving him a disapproving look of his own before turning his attention to the front as the doors opened to let in the first years. A loud murmur went up as they came in as those who hadn't heard about the centaur yet began to talk, the rest joining in as the group stepped up.

"Oh no, whatever is she doing here?" Jennifer heard off to her left above the rumble. She glanced over to see Icarus Ravenclaw fading into view with such a look of open anxiety that she felt a strange sense of foreboding. Frowning, she turned back over to the front and gazed at the filly. But the girl seemed simply awkward, subconscious about everyone looking at her, and curious…not all that truly different from the other first years around her. She glanced around then and then broke into a warm smile when she saw Winnie trying to catch her gaze, breaking into a grin of her own.

"Jessica Bishop," Hermione called out, and Jennifer remembered she was the daughter of Carey Bishop, a former student who now sat on the board.

"_Ravenclaw!"_ the Sorting Hat declared after a moment, and Jennifer clapped and grinned warmly at the girl, taking a seat near where Pimra Glass was sitting.

"Winifred Brim," Hermione said with a smile, and Winnie flashed her a grin as well as she went to sit on the stool. The Sorting Hat sat there for only a moment or two before crying out, _"Hufflepuff!"_

Elated, Winnie went over to the table and immediately hugged Ambrose and Lindsay before sitting down. Jennifer clapped enthusiastically, but didn't miss when Andrew slipped a coin in Danny's hand.

"Had her pegged for Gryffindor, did you?" Severus murmured softly.

"She could have been hiding under a bushel," Andrew murmured back, but then turned his attention back to the next student.

"Elizabeth Coventry," Hermione called out, and Jennifer gazed intently at the dark haired girl, wondering what the chances were that she would be Sorted away from her brothers.

_"Slytherin!"_ the Hat declared, and Jennifer's shoulders slumped slightly despite the fact she clapped and gave her a warm smile when she glanced behind her.

"Veronica Greisley," Hermione called out, and Jennifer got interested again as a brown haired, slightly overweight girl stepped up to the stool and smiled thoughtfully at her. There was no doubt at all that the girl looked quite a bit like both parents.

_"Slytherin!"_ the Hat cried out again, and Jennifer nodded to herself, grinning at the girl. Well, her father would be happy about that at least.

It took several more names before the Hat seemed at all inclined to sort anyone into Gryffindor, but it seemed to make up for it by doing several in a row. It was during this that a pale red-haired boy stepped up to the stool, and even though she didn't recognize his features or the name of Liffey, there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that reminded her so much of Corey that she knew he was going to follow Neil Kelsey into Gryffindor.

"Lyra, daughter of Gemini," Hermione called out as he settled at the table. "Er, we can do without the stool," she said when Lyra gave her a dubious look, moving it out of the way so the centaur could step up. As the Hat fell on her head, Jennifer found herself holding her breath, although she wasn't quite sure why.

"_Gryffindor!"_ the Hat declared, and everyone clapped, most especially the Gryffindor table. Hermione grinned at her and spoke softly to her a moment, and Lyra stepped over to the end of the table with a timid smile. At least the Gryffindors seemed quite happy to have her, although Jennifer couldn't help but feel a little sorry over what it must be like to be in such a foreign place in such surroundings. Jennifer glanced over to the far end where Sagittari was sitting, expecting him to have been reminiscing about what it had been like for him when he stood at that very table. Instead he seemed intent only on watching how his daughter was reacting to everything without really experiencing it with her.

Feeling a nudge at her side, she clapped belatedly for one of the new Ravenclaws, trying push all the distractions aside while the rest of the first years were placed into their houses, tuning out the pained lack of melody when Hermione led a rendition of _Hogwarts Forever_, wishing she could hear it like Severus heard it; in pure languid tones. But Severus seemed distant through the whole thing, and seemed just as glad when it was over as he stood up beside her.

"A few short but important announcements before we begin," Severus said, the hall quickly growing quiet. "First, a welcome to Mr. Pyther, who will be teaching Defense on a full time basis this year…and without the unusual schedule," he added, earning a few soft chuckles from the students and a cordial nod from Francis. "Secondly, as many of those concerned were informed last year, Professor Scribe will be helping Professor Sprout with much of her advisory duties for Hufflepuff this year. They will be working closely together so feel free to go to either advisor, although I would encourage first years to go to Professor Scribe since she'll be doing most of the legwork around the castle," Severus said, glancing at the two women who beamed warmly out at the students; one middle aged, one ancient, and yet Jennifer noted there was something quite similar in the way they smiled.

"There is one more thing of a serious nature that I must discuss with you," he began again, a look so sharp in his black eyes that the room seemed to grow even quieter. "Due to certain circumstances concerning the school's welfare, the Dark Forest is once again off limits to everyone, student and staff alike, including educational trips as we've been fortunate to have in recent years. No one, and I do mean no one, should be going in there for any reason, no matter how legitimate you think it is. And if you are not certain if 'no one' or 'any' includes you or not, I assure you it does. Anyone who wants to argue the point can find me in my office," he added. A few glances were passed around, but no one said anything. "Any students found breaking this rule will more than likely find themselves out of this school. Also, if you are going to Hogsmeade this year, you are encouraged to stay close to town. Picnic trips and so forth to Keki's Grove are highly discouraged, and I'd prefer it if you didn't go there at all. Please also note that the Hogsmeade bus will be leaving and returning an hour earlier than in recent years, so make certain you watch your house bulletin boards for updated times. That is all," Severus said and sat down, the plates filling as he did so. "Any defiance, Jennifer?" he asked in a low voice. On the other side of him, Hermione smirked at the question.

"No, not really, but a lot of curiosity, and I noticed a great many of the older students looked over at Lyra when you mentioned the forest restrictions," Jennifer admitted.

"Yes, well, she's bound to attract some attention her first few weeks here, although I'm sure once everyone gets used to each other it'll calm down. She's hardly the first high profile student we've ever had," Severus said quietly.

"Well, perhaps not quite that high from the back," Andrew said, earning a few dirty looks in his direction. "So, were you able to get all your potions caught up, Mum?"

"Yes, somehow, but I still have a lot left to do tonight," Jennifer admitted, glancing apologetically at Hermione.

"Well, I admit you had me worried as behind as you had gotten, Jennifer," Hermione said. "I was going to go down there and check up on you if you hadn't gotten your syllabi on my desk before lunch. I have enough to do just taking care of schedules and things tonight."

"My syllabi?" Jennifer said in complete bewilderment, staring at Hermione's face wondering how she could have possibly gotten them when she hadn't gotten past third years yet. She looked over at Severus wondering if he had done it, but he in turn was giving her such a critical sideways glance that she suddenly realized what must have happened. "Oh, yes, of course, just before lunch," Jennifer said in such a way that Severus and Hermione were both staring at her. Jennifer immediately became preoccupied with the food on her plate and refused to look at either of them; blatantly aware that beside her Severus was drumming his fingers on the table.

"And just what would happen, I wonder, if I decided not to humor this little setup of yours and not lend you the you-know-what which you obviously come to ask for at some point this evening?" Severus murmured in her ear.

"Um. Time paradox?" Jennifer murmured back with a nervous giggle, but didn't miss the dangerous glint in his eye. "Besides, you can't really scold me for something I haven't done yet, can you?"

"You mean like your agendas?" Severus asked curtly.

"Er…yes, but, I will have had those done in time, won't I have…had?" Jennifer said in a low voice. Severus squinted at her but then sighed in resignation, shaking his head and twisting his goblet around. Jennifer got enough of a glimpse to see she was going to get away with it, despite the fact she knew she'd be up most the night to try and get everything done in time. Well, maybe she could catch up on some sleep the second time around after she turned her paperwork in, she mused, glancing towards the Ravenclaw table. At the very least, she still wouldn't look as tired as Dale Chance did, who had apparently fallen asleep at his seat with a loaf of bread substituting as a pillow. Jennifer tugged on Severus' sleeve and gestured over to the Ravenclaw table, and Severus frowned, squinting at him. "I think I'd better have a word with Sagitarri and take care of that as soon as we're done," she murmured to him.

"Yes, but don't you dare let him skip classes over this, Jennifer," Severus warned.

"Of course not. I'm sure he's just tired from his busy summer, but all the same, I'd feel better if he had a checkup," Jennifer said. "I'll be up after I pass out schedules."

"Fine, if I'm not up there when you get there, I'll leave the Time-Turner out on the desk, but it had better be done," he added when he saw her grin, shaking his head. "You know how I hate that thing."

"And yet I know perfectly well you use it more than anyone," Jennifer whispered challengingly.

"No baiting me at dinner," Severus muttered back, and Jennifer grinned even wider and began to poke at her plate again.

Severus had his mind on too many other things to follow up on it further, watching the Gryffindor table as several students moved places so that several of the girls sat by Lyra, apparently uncomfortable with eating around the boys. To Severus' other side, Andrew was busy picking on Francis over the bean sprouts, beet leaves and crumbled tofu on his plate, for apparently the ex-vampire had gone with his doctor's suggestion of sticking with a vegetarian diet, until Danny and Hermione began talking about Rich and Gloria and he found his attention drawn back to their conversation. Curiously, everything felt quite distant to Severus. Deciding he was just tired, he was glad when it finally got late enough that he could get up and dismiss the houses. He watched as Jennifer slipped upstairs and then made his exit out the back door, lost in thought.

"Severus?"

He paused just before he got to the back stairs and looked back at Icarus Ravenclaw, who seemed even more troubled the usual.

"What is it, Ick?" Severus asked.

"Can I walk you up? I need to talk to you about that centaur girl," Icarus said.

"You would have known about her already if you would show up for staff meetings once in a while," Severus scolded him, knowing he had locked himself up in the Divination Tower again.

"She isn't supposed to be here, Severus," Icarus said firmly. "You are only going to make things worse by bringing her here."

"I didn't bring her here, Icarus. Sagittari enrolled her," Severus said calmly. "I simply tested her to make certain she could handle the work, and she's more than capable."

"I am not worried about her handling it. I'm worried about how you are going to handle it when that girl meets her fate," Icarus said. Severus stopped short and stared at him. "She is not going to live out the year if you keep her in this school. She needs to be back with her people."

"Her people have already condemned her to their predictions of doom, Icarus. Do not expect me to do the same," Severus said. "I don't care what you've seen, or they've seen for that matter. You know perfectly well that such silly portents and even 'future memories' can be changed, I'm here as proof of that."

"You didn't change any memories, Severus. You simply found a way to make both of them happen," Icarus said solemnly, passing him on the stairs and then turning to face him. "But sometimes we are so eager to change a bad path in front of us that we sacrifice the present to do it, succeeding in nothing but causing that ill fate to come about. And I, Severus, am here as proof of that," Icarus said firmly. "You've done a lot of good things for this world and for others over the years, and you have taken a great many risks to do it. But you can't save them all, you know."

"I am well aware of it," Severus snapped. "I've had countless students stray down wrong paths before despite my best efforts, but that hardly means I'm going to give up on a student who did nothing wrong in this world except be born on the wrong date."

"There is more to it than that," Icarus said softly. "If that was all it was, I wouldn't have reason to protest."

"As far as I'm concerned, you still have no reason. We live in the present, and we're responsible for our own decisions," Severus said firmly, partially passing through the ghost as he continued up the stairs.

"Yes, that is true, Severus," Icarus said unconcernedly, following him in spite of the obvious dismissal. "But what are you going to do when she decides to follow that fate instead of fight it? You can only make your own decisions, you cannot make hers as well, you know."

"Then we'll simply have to make certain she learns how to make the right decisions, won't we?" Severus said. Icarus grew quiet and watched him continue up the stairs, frowning deeply and shaking his head before finally fading away.


	8. Making Adjustments

Chapter Eight

Making Adjustments

"Did we really have to skip breakfast to do this?" Connie complained as she followed Lucky out onto the grounds towards Sagittari's hut.

"I just want to make sure nothing is wrong, I hadn't seen him for weeks," Lucky said, holding her rabbit close to prevent him from escaping again. "I didn't even know he had gotten on the train, but somehow he must've gotten in my trunk while I was packing it."

"I'm sure he's fine, Lucky," Connie sighed, knocking on the door of the hut.

The door popped open and Lyra peered out curiously, breaking into a giggle when she saw them.

"There are people out there," she declared.

"Well let them in," Sagittari sighed from where he stood near his stove.

"I think it is the girls who sat next to me last night," she said, backing away from the door to let the two of them squeeze in.

"She was uncomfortable eating around the boys," Connie explained as they managed to get past her.

"We are not supposed to eat with males," Lyra said indignantly.

"Lyra, come around the other side of the table," Sagittari sighed at her. "And it was nice of you girls to help make Lyra more comfortable last night, although she does need to learn to adapt."

"It's ok. I don't like eating with the guys either, they're real pigs," Lucky said with a shrug, petting Houdini's ears to relax him.

"Have you eaten? It's rather early for the two of you to be out on the first day of class," Sagittari frowned.

"No, but we have Potions first," Lucky shrugged. "I was wondering if you could take a look at Houdini, he's been acting funny."

"Has he?" Sagittari frowned, putting extra bowls down on the table before stepping over to her to take him from her. "In what way?"

"He's spent the last few weeks in complete hiding and not coming out for anything. I didn't even know he got on the train with me until I got upstairs last night," Lucky explained.

"Oh really?" Sagittari said but then seemed to become relaxed, doing a cursory inspection of his eyes and ears before handing him back to her. "Well, I don't think you'll have any more trouble now that he is at the castle, unless someone is hiding secrets from me that shouldn't be. I will contact Alexandria and let her know it's time for her to drop by." Suddenly Houdini began to scramble in a panic, and before Lucky could get a handle on him jumped down and darted out of the open door.

"There he goes again! That's what I was talking about!" Lucky said with exasperation.

"Yes, it's a survival instinct, rather common among familiar-bred rabbits," Sagittari said unconcernedly. "Used to be only the doe rabbits used to react that way since they were the only ones threatened to have their ovaries poisoned, but over the last hundred years and countless rabbit generations, they've all picked up the habit of running whenever a witch is in their first trimester. If he's still hiding when you come home for Christmas, simply cover his cage with a black cloth so he feels safe enough to go back in there to eat."

"Of course, I should have thought of that myself!" Connie said with exasperation. "It just means that your sister is pregnant!"

"Ah_, bueno_, as if one babbling baby in the house wasn't enough," Lucky said in annoyance. "Come on, let's get to class."

"Perhaps you could walk Lyra to Defense as well, since it is on the way?" Sagittari suggested.

"Sure," Connie said with a smile. "Get your books Lyra, and let's go." Lyra grabbed a shoulder satchel off a hook near the door and followed them out, listening to the two chatting girls curiously as they walked. Sagittari watched them at the door for a moment before sending off a note with one of the barn owls before cleaning the kitchen and getting ready for his first class.

Lucky and Connie came into the Potion Lab to see that no one was sitting down at all. Instead, they were wandering around the room, staring in the snake cages or peering out the windows and locked storage bins and cubby shelves each one marked with a name plate of students in Dabbler's, Items, and seventh year potions who had reasons to keep potions there over the long term.

"This is wonderful! It looks so much more efficient than it was before," Connie said appreciatively, gazing at the row of dried herbs hanging from the archway pillared over the middle of the room. "And look at those windows!"

"Great, now she can freeze us out in the winter even faster than she did before," Dirk Atchison muttered as he finally took his seat in the front row. Several of the other Slytherin students followed his lead and sat down as well.

"I'm surprised she didn't add a full buffet table while they were at it," Bindy Carr added as she sat down beside him.

"Actually, for once she has a point. I don't see any coffee in here, Lucky," Connie whispered to her, sitting down beside her. Lucky frowned and looked at the back corner with a sigh. So much for the 'luck' of having another morning Potions class this year.

"Good morning, class!" Professor Craw greeted cheerfully as she walked in from the corridor, smiling warmly at them. "So what do you think of the new lab?" she asked, getting a fairly enthusiastic response.

"It does seem to missing something, though," Connie hinted.

"Hm, you know it does seem to be, doesn't it?" the professor admitted with an enigmatic smile, putting her books on the table.

"Like a built-in coffee pot," Lucky ventured, and Craw grinned at her.

"Well, Madame Black's husband and the Headmaster himself designed the new lab, and the Headmaster certainly isn't going to encourage my early morning nonconformities," Jennifer said amusedly but then walked over and opened her office door. "So, I had to go out and buy my own cart," she added cheerfully, a mix of laughter and appreciation voiced by the students as she rolled out a lovely new breakfast cart. It had hinged sides so she could widen it, and upon it sat an ornate enamel coffee set surrounded by bite-sized pastries and a small tray of juice cartons. She wheeled it into the back corner, fixing herself a cup of coffee before returning to her desk.

"All right, help yourselves and then get settled! We're going to be getting into imbibed potions and more complex formulas this year, and Headmaster disapproval or not, I'm not teaching it with half the class dozing off during my lecture," Craw said firmly. She used the time it took for them to grab their snacks to pull out the chalkboard and write out a formula.

"Most of the formulas we'll cover before Christmas will have the same base suspension, so we'll be making samples of it in lab today. I trust by now you remember to check your ingredients for quality and potency by now…if not, I'm sure it'll show up in your finished product with this. If you're not sure of how to inspect any of the components I just listed, now's the time to mention it so I can review it," Professor Craw said, turning around to face the class only to notice Snape leaning against the door with his arms crossed and an unmistaken look of disapproval towards all the crumbs on the new student tables. "Oh, uh…good morning, Headmaster. Did you need something?"

"No, I was just passing through," Professor Snape said, despite the fact that the likelihood of him 'just passing through' that part of the dungeon seemed unlikely at best. "I see you've already managed to…make yourself at home," he said, squinting at the breakfast cart.

"Yes I have, thank you," Professor Craw said with a warm but slightly defiant smile. "It's nice to finally be back in a normal lab again. You did a magnificent job redesigning it."

"Yes, but perhaps I added a bit too much room," Snape said glibly back, his eyes darting from the breakfast cart to where Lucky and Connie were sitting before directing his gaze back to her. "And perhaps your first period students would be more inclined to actually go to breakfast if they didn't have an excuse to skip it?"

"Now, don't worry about that, Professor Snape, the only students who missed breakfast just got done telling me they had to make an emergency call to Doctor Sagittari this morning," Craw said glibly after glancing at Lucky's face. Lucky stared fixedly back at her. "Fortunately, it was just a typical rabbit familiar complaint. Everything's all right now."

"That remains to be seen," the Headmaster said evenly. "You have an afternoon conference?"

"Um…yes, Professor," Craw said, clearing her throat.

"Fine, then I won't detain your class any further. Enjoy the lab," he added dryly before walking off.

"Right! Well…anyone for seconds before we get down to business?" Craw asked, picking up her book off the table. Dirk sighed and shook his head, while many of the other students exchanged smirks as Lucky and a couple of others refilled their coffee.

"Ya right, what's he gonna do about it? Fire her?" Lucky snorted softly to Connie who grinned widely in response before copying down the notes on the board.

The students probably would have been a bit surprised to learn that what Severus had been thinking had been quite different than what he had actually said. It was a technique that Jennifer and he had been working on of late; the old complaint as good as an excuse as any to banter back and forth. In a way it reminded Jennifer of that first summer she spent with Audacious Belle trying to hone her skills as a Truth Seeker, although the memory had gotten bittersweet since her death. But Severus had a knack of turning the talents of those around him into a mutual advantage, and in many ways, it had made him a better Headmaster.

Of course, skill and love of the job were two different things; and Jennifer had also not missed the fact that the strain that had temporarily waned because of his concern for Alicia and Francis was beginning to reappear, even if it was only in the occasional tired glance. It was as if Severus' mind needed to constantly keep busy; left without a problem to tackle, he had become more and more brooding. Rather like Sherlock Holmes, Jennifer realized when she began thinking about it at lunch, although she knew Severus had more sense than to go to the extreme of substance abuse as did his favorite Muggle character. Perhaps what he needed was some sort of new diversion, she mused. But when would he find the time? Then again, he did find time to brood when the mood hit him…a knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. Jennifer suddenly remembered what it was she was supposed to be doing and brought down her Puzzlebox, opening the door to let Francis in.

"Hello, Pyther! How is your first day back going? How did Lyra do?" Jennifer asked, working the complex lock on the box.

"Very well, for the most part. She was very intent on my lecture, although, I admit she wasn't as enthusiastic about a reading assignment," Francis admitted.

"Not surprising, really, centaurs are oratory learners, after all," Jennifer said thoughtfully, putting on some gloves. "They prefer to pass down all their knowledge from recitations and only use writing for specific ceremonies, so it must be a bit of a shock to her that we rely on books so much. I expect she'll do well in classes with heavy lecturing, though."

"She doesn't take notes either, but she doesn't seem to need to. When I question her about some of the fine points she repeated them back readily enough. I suppose she was trained to do so," Francis said.

"We should probably talk to Hermione about trying to find a way to get her used to books without hurting that training, then, since I'm sure it'll be a blessing to her later in her studies," Jennifer said, bringing out the items they had bought at the pawnshop. "All right, let's start by sorting into piles of anything that can be identified with the Intent charm and those that can't, since you'll want to start your basic classes on those, then we'll start sorting by how difficult the dispel might be. There should be some pumpkin butter sandwiches on the tray if you're hungry."

"Thank you, although I'd rather make some headway on this first," Francis admitted.

"So would I, really, my Puzzlebox is getting rather full," Jennifer chuckled, piling up items on the table. "As long as there are no hidden curses on any of these, the majority will be benign enough you can simply lock them up in your office once we're done."

"I'm not sure we'll get all of these done in an hour. Perhaps I should cancel my lesson with Andrew tonight so we can finish up?" Francis suggested as he picked up a random item and tapped it to see if it had an aura or not.

"No, the lessons are more important, Pyther, and it isn't as if you need these for a couple of weeks. I can deal with the messy box if needed," Jennifer grinned. "Organization has never been one of my best areas when it comes to things like these…as Severus will quite adamantly attest to." Francis chuckled at that, tapping the next item and frowning a moment before starting a second pile. "How are the lessons going, by the way? Any luck on your new animagus form?"

"Not really. It's proving a lot more difficult than even I had imagined," Francis sighed.

"If it was easy, nearly everyone would have one," Jennifer chuckled. "As it is, I only know of three currently on staff and one student who can do it."

"Four?" Francis pondered. "Well, I know who the student is, and of course Anna, Andrew and Danny. Who is the other?"

"John Carnegie," Jennifer said with a grin. "But you'll have to ask him yourself if he wants to tell you what it is since he used it in his former profession."

"Is it a cat?" Francis asked mischievously, grabbing a sandwich. Jennifer laughed softly and shook her head at him. "No, I suppose that would be too cliché, wouldn't it?"

"The point is there aren't many, even though Sirius has always said that anyone can learn it with enough time and patience," Jennifer reassured him, grabbing a sandwich of her own.

"Andrew thinks I ought to try observing some of the bird species I had attempted to turn into during my accident. He thinks perhaps it might make it easier if I got to know one better," Francis said.

"Sounds like a good idea," Jennifer agreed with a nod before turning to the Puzzlebox again to make certain she had gotten them all out. It was then that she noticed that one of the compartments along the back wall was glowing and she paused in confusion. "Strange," she murmured.

"Pardon?" Francis asked, putting the glove in the basic pile before glancing up to see her frowning inside her box.

"I don't know…one of my personal items has been activated somehow. That really shouldn't happen in a Puzzlebox, though, the whole point of it is to stop them from interacting," Jennifer said. "It's in a locked compartment, too. Cover me, Pyther. I want to see which one it is." Francis frowned and stood behind her with his wand out, hoping very much that he wasn't put in a position to have to make a split second decision as Jennifer carefully unlatched the compartment and took out its contents with a gloved hand, taking out something small. She stared at it a moment before she brought the glowing object out, and Pyther saw it was a man's ring. A crawling feeling went through him just then that he couldn't explain.

"I've seen that ring before somewhere," he murmured. "It feels quite evil, Jennifer."

"Items aren't evil, Pyther, although their owners might be. And this item in particular has its share of curses on it," Jennifer said, careful not to put her finger in it, gloved hand or not. "And you have seen it before. This is the same ring I took out of Mallus Craw's grave that night we went to Hamlin looking for clues to the Forbidden Tomb." Francis paled dramatically, the one cold memory he had of the most horrific dark wizard he had ever met coming to the forefront of his mind. Jennifer looked around in bewilderment, glancing at the items on the table. "I wonder what could have possibly set it off?"

"I don't know, but I'd very much wish you'd put that thing away, Jennifer. I don't trust it. Not at all," Francis said fervently.

"Neither do I, Craw blood or not," Jennifer said, putting it back in the container it came in. "I never really got a good chance to look at it closely after the fact, except to determine it had a sound based charm on it and a whole slew of complex curses worked into it…some put on it when it was forged and some after the fact. Life was so crazy back then that I really never had a chance to follow up on it. To be honest, it wasn't a priority. I guess it's a priority now though, isn't it?" Jennifer said with a wan smile, glancing over the items. "I can't imagine any of these could have set it off, but let's put them all back in the Puzzlebox to be safe."

"Is it going to be safe in there?" Francis asked, but began handing the items back.

"Well, safer than outside of it at any rate," Jennifer said, but Francis didn't miss the uncertainty in her voice as she pushed all the locks in place. "I'm going to run this up to the Headmaster's Study. That room has protections against curses none of the others have on it, and Severus will want to know about this in any case. The sooner we can determine what is causing it to activate, the better."

* * *

Ambrose Bailey ran into the library after dinner with a wooden owl bobbing away on his shoulder, somehow managing to keep his grip as the young boy hurried inside with books in hand and heading straight over to the Librarian's Office. It was then he only stopped short; for just two feet to the right where the book return cart used to sit was a new wooden door that had a small owl carved into the top square of the woodwork.

"Wow!" Ambrose said with awe, while Archimedes hooted inquisitively. "Is that for us?"

"Good evening, Mr. Bailey," Librarian Boulderdash said from his desk, the goblin turning towards him with a strange flash in his beady black eyes. "I should have known it wouldn't take long for you to find your way in here. Headmaster Snape wasn't too keen on you and your companions traipsing about in my office at all hours, probably afraid one of you will get brave enough to test how quick the poisons are I put on my locked containers," he sneered toothily. "You'll find it'll open to any of your members once they're sworn in."

"Wow, thanks!" Ambrose said again, even more impressed. "Coming to the meeting later?"

"Of course, Mr. Bailey, but I think I'll stay out here until the last of you have arrived. I imagine you know better than to touch anything odd back there you might notice in the interim," he snarled warningly.

Ignoring the goblin's churlishness, Ambrose went in curiously, putting his books at the head of the table as he always did before looking around the storage room. It looked bigger somehow, Ambrose mused, although that very easily could have been the fact that it had been arranged somewhat since last year; the rows of bookshelves along the back wall looking narrower and taller than the year before, so much so that Ambrose wondered at first how Boulderdash might be getting to the higher shelves until he noticed a strange set of short stairs set on wheels that had been pushed up to the wall behind the old battered worktable where Boulderdash sat to glue new bindings onto books and sit at during meetings.

But it was the wall to the right of the door and behind their table that had some items on it strikingly different. Ambrose couldn't help to go over to look at them curiously, keeping his hands well behind his back, for nobody wanted to deal with a cranky goblin.

There was a long bulletin board with an owl hook attaching it to the wall; rather similar in fact to the ones they had in their common rooms. There was a dark mahogany wooden box with a slot on it and a metal scales sitting on top of it, and a large empty scroll rack newly dusted and polished. Just above it was what looked like a huge glass box trimmed with mahogany, mounted to a fine mahogany backboard with an owl carved at the top that looked strikingly like Archimedes. The wooden owl hooted appreciatively.

"Yes, it's neat, but I wonder what it's for?" Ambrose asked the owl who simply hooted again. "This is going to be a great meeting, though, I can tell! There's so much going on!" he said excitedly, turning around when the door opened again and Lucky, Connie, and Helena walked in. "Hiya, guys! Isn't this great?"

"Sorry, we woulda been here sooner, but Lena eats slow," Lucky said accusingly.

"Well, I certainly don't pile it on bread and wolf it down like you do, no," Helena said primly. "I'd get laughed out of Slytherin if I ate like the two of you. So what is all this back here? I suppose this is what we're not supposed to touch?"

"I'd say that is a good guess," Connie said with a nod, looking it over as well before finding her seat. A moment later, Lindsay and Laura walked in with Dale and Pimra not far behind.

"How's that for style? Our own private door," Laura said with a grin, waving to everyone as they sat down. "I think I am going to like this being official stuff."

"It will definitely help make it easier to pick up more members," Lindsay agreed. "In fact, I've had inquiries."

"Actually, I have someone I'd like put into consideration as well," Dale ventured.

"Wait, wait, wait, how about some more Slytherin?" Helena said with a frown.

"If we can find any actually worth inviting, I'm all for it," Dale said, Helena gazing at him darkly in response.

"Okay, okay, let's all get to our places," Ambrose said with a chuckle, nodding to Boulderdash who had slipped in a moment before from the door to his office. "I'm so glad we're back! I had such a boring summer! I ended up going to my cousins nearly every day!" he said with a sigh, walking over to his seat.

"How can anybody be bored in that house?" Lindsay teased.

"Well, it's boring compared to here," Ambrose protested, sitting down. "Did everyone remember their schedules?" he asked, and everyone immediately went into their books to bring them out. Ambrose heard what sounded like an animal growl but realized it was simply Boulderdash clearing his throat, and looked over to see him pulling up a stool and sitting in front of his desk.

"Mind if I have a few words with the order before you get too far in with your schemes, Mr. Bailey?" Boulderdash inquired.

"Does this have something to do with that stuff on the wall?" Ambrose asked with a grin.

"In part," Boulderdash nodded. "Now that we're an official organization sanctioned by the school, as it were, there are some rules and other formalities you need to be aware of."

"Told ya," Lucky snorted. Ambrose, Connie, Helena and Lindsay all grimaced at her, having heard her warnings at one point or another that summer.

"If you are worried about restrictions, Miss Snape, I hardly meant to imply that you will no longer be a self run organization, you will be. But we you will need to work to keep your new status, Headmaster approval, and use of certain facilities I might have previously commandeered without certain said approvals," he said in a lower tone, most of the students grinning in response, "The Headmaster and I have gotten together on a few things and I have some suggestions and some minor adjustments to relay." Lucky folded her arms over the chest in annoyance, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"What kind of adjustments?" Ambrose asked.

"Perhaps we should begin with what I heard you discussing when I came in," Boulderdash said, glancing at Helena. "The Headmaster is a bit concerned over the lopsided membership of houses in the organization. Since one of the major points of the charter is to promote better cooperation in houses, he suggests that you recruit an even number among all four houses to maintain."

"Well, I'm definitely in favor of that," Helena agreed.

"So am I, come to think of it," Lindsay nodded. "I think it's a fair request, although it will definitely take some well thought recruiting to get our numbers even. I suppose since Ravenclaw has the most at three, we should try and get everyone even with that."

"But I was hoping to we could recruit Bobby this year," Dale said with a frown.

"Dale, we'll have to add quite a few as it is to get everyone even. There's only so many we can possibly maintain and still stay close and do what we set out to do, not to mention it getting too crowded in here," Lindsay pointed out. "Although I admit I wouldn't mind Bobby in either, especially considering he ends up knowing most of what we're up to anyhow." Laura smirked knowingly at that.

"Well, with four in each house, that'd get us up to sixteen, that's still manageable, isn't it?" Ambrose asked, glancing over at Boulderdash

"Considering you will be doing most of the managing, I'm not sure why you're looking at me, Mr. Bailey. I personally believe it's a fair enough number, yet I also agree with Miss Black that there needs to be a limit. Any more than twenty would be pushing it," Boulderdash said. "Although, may I also point out…and no offense at all meant to your house, Miss Weasley, the likelihood of all of you coming to a unanimous decision on all new members might prove difficult with so many coming in."

"It was difficult already," Ambrose said, glancing over at Connie and Lucky who were refusing to look in his direction.

"You might consider amending that and simply making it a two-thirds or three-fourths majority? I think you'll find it a less painful process that way," Boulderdash suggested.

"I think that makes a lot of sense," Dale said.

"Especially considering that before we have a vote on any new members, we always talk about the pros and cons of letting them in, so if anyone did have any objections, they could air them out," Lindsay put in, looking over at Lucky and Connie.

"We could even keep the votes anonymous if you want, assuming those scales and voting box were meant for us," Ambrose hinted, glancing over at Boulderdash who eyed him but didn't seem in any rush to confirm it.

"Okay, fine, but go with three-fourths," Lucky said at last with a sigh, and Connie soon nodded as well, the rest agreeing more readily.

"The other major thing I want to discuss this evening is the matter of house points…house being the key word," he said, the others frowning in response. "Now, you all know the problems we ran into last year when this was the Fifth House. You were counting your personal points as well as any points belonging to a team one of your members was on, when technically speaking they were your Sorted houses' points and were totaled as such. Now, I'm not meaning to undermine your attempts last year, far from it. If the staff didn't think that your daunting goal and your achievement in it was petty you certainly wouldn't have gotten those cups or that charter to continue this little enterprise of yours," he said with a sneering smile. "In fact, it did its job keeping you motivated to push yourselves all term last year. That is, of course, the entire point behind that system, after all; to keep everyone motivated regardless of what shortfalls may come through the year. And the Headmaster and I both agree that the last thing we want to do is discourage you from it…but to keep things from being overly redundant since you were already getting rewarded for your efforts through your houses, we've come up with a more specific system for our order," he said, gesturing to the wooden and glass box on the wall.

"This box I created rather works similar to the hour glasses your houses have," Boulderdash continued. "Except in this case, it is owl feathers that appear behind the glass, dependent solely on whether or not you achieve certain goals throughout the year. They aren't points anyone can give you; they will fill up automatically any time you make any decent progress on your objectives for the year. Each of you…" he said, pausing to gesture at the scroll case, which they suddenly realized had eight different scrolls in it, "Will be given three personal goals, depending on who you are; one chosen by myself, one by your advisor, and one by the Headmaster. They're all different, depending on whom you are, and you aren't under any obligations to share what they are if you don't want to," he explained. "To this, you are to add two more goals for the year…whatever you like…although the more challenging it is, the more likely it'll earn you more owl feathers, so you might keep that in mind when you're choosing them. I'll be keeping track to see who has the most by the end of the year. More than likely that effort will be rewarded in some way," he said with a sneer. "You will also have one other goal; a goal to be achieved by the entire order for the year. What that will be is entirely up to you as an order to decide, although the Headmaster did suggest it would be advisable to come up with some sort of goal that might benefit the entire school in some way."

"So like donating an item to the school or something like that?" Dale asked.

"Perhaps, but I won't get involved in that. If I did, I'd be tempted to simply place a goal of repairing every book in the library inventory for me," Boulderdash shrugged.

"Well that isn't all that bad of an idea, is it?" Ambrose mused. Everyone turned and stared at him.

"Don't even think about it, _chico_," Lucky said flatly.

"No, if it's a goal for the whole order, we should vote for it," Connie put in quickly.

"I agree," Ambrose nodded.

"Yeah, well, I think we also should vote on whether or not we go with this new system," Lucky put in. "Sounds to me like it's a lot more than we bargained for when we started this lil' study group."

"Really? I think it sounds brilliant!" Ambrose said, and then looked around. "What do you think about it, Lena, since you were the points keeper last year." Helena shrugged.

"I think it has potential," Helena admitted. "Although I'd really like to see these goal lists before I make up my mind on whether or not to agree to it."

"Just because the goals are written on there doesn't mean you have to do any of them, Miss Weasley," Boulderdash pointed out. "You simply won't earn any feathers if you don't do them. If you don't like them, you can simply concentrate on the two remaining goals you yourself write out. But at least in this way, you will be furthering both your own education and the beliefs of your order without taking away anything from your houses. It's an addition, not a subtraction, just as this order has come to be. You won't lose anything…in fact, you can't really even lose any owl feathers you accrue either, unless for some reason of conscience you came to me and ask they be taken out on your own. Nobody else can take them from you."

"I like that idea," Pimra said with a timid grin from where she sat on the other side of Helena.

"Since there's nothing to lose, I really don't see why we shouldn't at least try it out and see how we like it," Laura agreed.

"Sure, I'm game," Dale said with a shrug. "Come on, Lucky, it can't be as bad as you might imagine."

"They're just tryin' to find some way to control us. It's the whole 'institution' thing coming back to haunt us again," Lucky said. "The whole point of this group was to question the establishment, not help put a new coat of paint on it."

"Miss Snape, if what you and this order of yours want to do is conspire, revolt and reach new heights of nonconformity, you'll find I hold no objections whatsoever. I may be a librarian, but as a goblin I appreciate the necessity to break shackles and tear walls that happen to build up over time," Boulderdash said. "In fact, if you put anything in your personal goals to reach that objective, you will find me more than supportive of the decision." Lucky pondered that a moment, then smiled defiantly.

"Fine, maybe I will," Lucky said, and Ambrose grinned at her.

"All in favor of the new uh…adjustments?" Ambrose asked, and everyone's hands went up. Nodding in acceptance, Boulderdash got up and went back behind the desk so they could get back to trading schedules and working out study arrangements, an active ear on their conversations as he carefully glued library card pockets on a new set of books.


	9. The Dark Ring

Chapter Nine

The Dark Ring

What Severus had planned to talk to Jennifer about during conference was quickly abandoned as he found himself spending the entire hour helping her with the grueling task of testing each new item to make certain that nothing could have set the ring off.

"I'd rather you not get the ring itself out right now, because we're going to want time to look into that without rushing," Severus sighed. "Also, I think I'll wander by the Transfiguration Room to have a word with Andrew. I would feel much better with another Craw blood acting point when we do get that thing out."

Jennifer readily agreed, reluctantly returning to her last two classes. Well, at least the items from the pawnshop got a thorough check, Jennifer thought dryly, glancing at the bag she had put them in so she could drop them off in Francis' office. But the fact that they still had no idea what exactly had caused the ring to go off made her feel quite uncomfortable having to go back and teach potion formulas and the properties of Feistyweed. Without even a thought about food, she hurried up to the Headmaster's Study at dinner, meeting Andrew halfway up the stairs and walking in together.

"He isn't here," Andrew said thoughtfully, but Jennifer went over to his appointment book.

"Oh, that's right, board meeting tonight. He should be back soon, though, I think all he really needed to do was report on budget specifics for the year," Jennifer said, getting in the case to get her Puzzlebox out while Andrew went straight over to a tray of sandwiches, watching as she opened it. "I just can't figure out what could have possibly set this thing off through a Puzzlebox. I haven't had anything happen like that since…"

"Since?" Andrew prompted when Jennifer stood up and became lost in thought.

"Since the night the ghost of Mallus Craw woke up in the mirror painting," Jennifer finished after a moment.

"I've heard you say that before…you mentioned that painting last year," Andrew commented. "Just what happened that night? And how did the ghost get stuck in the painting in the first place?"

"Oh, well, there's an ancient technique for that…started out as a curse, really, some sort of cult ritual to try and 'entrap the demons' of the soul so that the evildoings of a man can stay and just the 'good parts' would ascend," Jennifer snorted. "Well that was the theory at any rate. It was an exorcist cult based on early Christianity, I think, although if you want anything more specific than that you'd have to ask your father about it, since it's not my area. But basically, it involved bonding a cord that ties one's corporeal and incorporeal selves together when we're alive to an inanimate object…nearly always a mirror…to try and capture the soul upon one's death. Of course it really didn't separate anything but the corpse from its ghost, so the only real benefit to it was that if the person who died had a ghost, he wasn't tied to his remains, he was tied to the object instead. In this particular case, Mallus Craw also put a possession curse on the mirror and had it painted on top of, so that he could later attempt to come back by possessing someone of his bloodline so he could reap havoc on the world again. He very nearly succeeded at that," Jennifer admitted thoughtfully. "If it hadn't been the fact that we were here in this office that night, not to mention Severus' quick thinking as well as the fact that the curse triggered the protections on this room and got Dumbledore here in a hurry…well, I wouldn't be around, honestly. That's why we don't allow séances here on Halloween anymore by the way," she added dryly. "That's how he got woken up in the first place. Apparently Puzzleboxes don't account for trying to summon dead spirits."

"Really…" Andrew said thoughtfully, gazing at the box. "How very interesting. I don't suppose there could be anything like that causing this right now?"

"I don't see how. Dumbledore got rid of the ghost, and I am quite certain it was in a manner that it won't be coming back," Jennifer said.

"Maybe it's some other sort of summons," Andrew said. "Or maybe it's memory sealed."

"Memory sealed?" Jennifer repeated, putting on her gloves before bringing the ring out to look at it. It wasn't glowing now, but that same foreboding feeling she had gotten since the very first time she had taken it still lingered as strong as ever. "You know, now that you mention that, I would be very surprised if it wasn't memory sealed or memory imprinted in some way. It'd definitely explain the dark aura around it, to be sure, and perhaps it also explains why it was left in his tomb. His son took the dagger. He took the wand. But he left this."

"For some reason that doesn't make me feel much better about the fact that you now have it, Mum," Andrew said.

Just then, the door opened and Severus swept in wearing his best robes, his eyes darting between the two of them before he noticed the ring was in Jennifer's hand and he scowled at her.

"Couldn't it have waited?" he asked, going over to his desk for a moment.

"We haven't started without you, Severus, I simply drew it out to look at it because it doesn't seem to be active at the moment," Jennifer explained. "How was the meeting?"

"Aggravating as always. They barely glanced at my budget concerns at all in favor of attempting to uncover 'whatever it was that possessed me' to enroll a centaur student," Severus snarled. Jennifer smiled sympathetically at him. "But never mind that. Regardless of whether or not the ring is now active, I am concerned that it became active at all, considering the strange occurrences lately."

"You think there might be some connection between what happened with the Spear and this?" Jennifer asked dubiously.

"Considering how little information we have about either event at the moment, we certainly can't rule it out, can we?" Severus said, using his wand to slide a few tables and move a few pieces of delicate equipment out of the way and clearing off a pedestal for Jennifer to use. "Let's set it up in the middle of the room. What have you checked it for in the past?"

"Well, I know that there is a complex charm and a blood curse in the silver band of the ring," Jennifer began, carefully inspecting it. "The charm seems to be a combination of two sound charms…one of magnification and one of protection…more than likely, based on the spells that the Resonius Charm and Sonorous Shield are based upon. The blood curse, of course, is the family loyalty one, although I must say it reads more like his old wand and less like I see on other family items. There could even be a strand or two of banshee hair set into the silver before the ring was formed."

"That wouldn't be all that surprising considering the charms upon the ring and who it was that owned it, would it?" Severus mused, Jennifer simply nodding in response and then gazed at the green stone. "What of the stone set into it?"

"That part is what inspired me to put the thing away for a later date to begin with," Jennifer admitted dryly. "The stone seems to have been added later, but cursed so it can't be removed. There are numerous layered curses on them all entangled together within it and if I'm not mistaken embedded or focused through the gem, and I never found time to try and dissect them all. Should I start by looking for memory imprints?" she asked, glancing at Andrew.

"How about we look for possession curses first?" Severus said dryly. Jennifer grinned at him.

"Well, that would be a bit unusual in this sort of jewelry, but I suppose you're right, better safe than sorry. Again," she added mischievously before setting the ring on the pedestal.

"Very well, Andrew, why don't you triangulate from her side and I'll do it from the rear in case anything blood related is triggered," Severus suggested, getting on the opposite side of the pedestal from Jennifer. "Jennifer, if anything questionable happens, yell and I'll attempt to use the temporal area spell to contain it long enough we can get out of range."

"All right," Jennifer said, murmuring a few basic protection cantrips before turning her attention to the ring, making certain the others were ready before casting a spell. The area around the ring grew dark, and a thick black aura with black tendrils developed around it, seemly stretching out to test the area around it.

"No possession curse," Jennifer murmured. "But definitely something that attaches to the mind of the wearer. I'm going to go ahead and check for memory content now." Severus simply nodded, too busy keeping a close eye on the spell on the ring to verbalize it. Jennifer raised her wand again and murmured another spell, the tendrils becoming even more erratic for a moment until she noticed that something was happening across the facets of the ring…images, she realized, not unlike a crystal ball or even a pensive, and a great many of them, many more than she might have expected for such a small vessel.

"Andrew, could you hold this spell for a moment?" Jennifer asked and Andrew stepped over. Carefully, Jennifer let her part of the spell fade as Andrew's took its place, Severus still holding point in case anything happened in the transfer. Andrew's ability with dark detection wasn't quite as strong as hers, but it was still strong enough that the images still played along the surface, if a little faded. Cautiously she took a few steps closer to get a view of the images within the crystal.

"I take it that it's definitely memory bound," Severus prompted, watching Jennifer's actions carefully.

"More than that, I think," Jennifer said after studying it for awhile. "If I'm not mistaken, the stone itself was literally grown from memories…almost like crystallized stands out of a Pensieve."

"But I thought there needs to be a specific sort of vessel involved to maintain that," Andrew frowned. Jennifer nodded.

"Yes, I think I've figured that part out too, because there seems to be an entire web of spells holding it together…the main one, if I'm not mistaken, is a Quest Curse," Jennifer explained. Severus frowned deeply, while Andrew shook his head, not understanding. "Basically, it means that anyone whoever puts on the ring is bound to do a particular task. You won't be able to get the ring off unless you either complete the task or die in the attempt. Even attempted amputation won't work on something like this; I suppose the fringe benefit is nothing can take your arm off while wearing it," Jennifer grinned. "I imagine the memory is there to give the wearer the knowledge they need to complete whatever its purpose is. More than likely, the thing was recording Mallus Craw's memories from the moment he put it on."

"That explains why Vindious didn't want it then. I certainly wouldn't want that man's memories in my head," Andrew said, gazing at it even more warily than he had been before.

"No way, I doubt anyone in his right mind would," Jennifer agreed, looking up at Severus. "The problem is, it also has a great many curses on attempting to destroy it too; typical of Quest Jewelry, really. It really can't be destroyed until the quest is either completed or its no longer a valid quest."

"Which means the quest is probably not tied to murdering a specific wizard or the like, since most of those in his time period or dead," Severus nodded.

"Well, there's always Albus or Pyther, I suppose, but Albus didn't know him at that point, and Mallus had no motive to go after Pyther," Jennifer said. "No, it has to be something longer lasting than that, or it wouldn't still be reacting at all now. You can release the spell, Andrew," Jennifer added.

"Is it possible that something having direct ties to whatever the quest is may have activated it, then?" Severus asked.

"It is possible, of course, but right now anything is considering we don't know what quest it holds," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "Still, if any part of the quest involved having to find or carry a particular item, I'd think it makes sense that the ring probably has some sort of detection charm on it to try and locate it. Want me to check for that?"

"As long as there's no danger in setting off any of those memories," Severus said.

"Trust me, I don't want to see in that man's head either, especially considering what we all know he did in the last twenty-four hours of his life," Jennifer said, both Severus and Andrew looking grim at the reminder. "That's why I'm not going to try to figure out what the quest is directly, it's too tied to the memories. But perhaps if there's a detection it'll give us a clue," she explained, raising her wand again. Severus nodded and Jennifer murmured another spell, this time the ring simply glowing softly instead of letting off the dark mass they had seen before. It faded the moment that Jennifer let up, and she looked thoughtful.

"There does appear to be some sort of detection charm on the band of the ring itself, post creation, I think," Jennifer mused, glancing on its effect on the stone. "I can't tell if it was put on at the same time or before the memory stone was started, though. Pretty sure it wasn't after. Considering the fact that it is centered on the ring itself, it more likely has to do with the ring's original function."

"Meaning?" Severus prompted impatiently.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's tailored to detect certain sounds," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "Perhaps even a very specific sound."

"Don't we have potions and charms these days that do the same thing?" Andrew mused.

"Well, yes, but not continuously, and also consider this was made six hundred years ago, so they wouldn't have the same potions. Most of our spells are also simply designed to heighten awareness. They don't account for the hundreds of sound waves the normal human ear doesn't pick up, or it could be made to work at a longer distance as well," Jennifer explained. Severus got a strange look on his face.

"Didn't you say you heard a strange sound that day in Villahexa when we got that odd feeling, Jennifer?" he asked.

"Yes, high pitched and a bit irritating, as a matter of fact…" she began.

"Cover, Andrew," Severus said then walked over to the desk and began opening drawers, searching the bottom one until he took out a tiny bronze whistle.

Jennifer cringed slightly but nodded and readied her wand as he blew the training whistle. She tried not to wince when he blew on it, focusing on the ring, but the ring didn't react at all.

"Hm. Did it even go off?" Severus asked. Jennifer turned and gave him a dirty look. Severus regarded her expression thoughtfully before shrugging. "Well, it was worth a try. You did mention at the time it sounded similar to Descartes whistle." Descartes let out a questioning call at the mention of his name, and Severus looked back to see him perched on the window beside the Observatory wondering if it was dinnertime. "Sorry, give me a moment," he sighed, putting the whistle on his desk and slipping into the sitting room long enough to take the lid off the Stymphalian's fish barrel. But the lull gave Jennifer a chance to think about it, trying to remember what she had experienced that day. She picked up the whistle thoughtfully and was still inspecting it when Severus came back in. "What is it?"

"I think you may be onto something," Jennifer said; glancing at Severus then at Andrew and then back at the whistle. "I think it's just the wrong pitch. The sound I heard was higher, and a lot clearer in tone. I might be able to use this to try and duplicate it though," she said, inspecting it thoughtfully again.

She allowed her mind to wander back to that day, thinking about it for a moment before muttering a charm of the whistle, watching as it glowed briefly and subsided before she blew it again, watching the ring. The moment she heard the tone, she knew it wouldn't react; that it still wasn't quite right. In fact, she was positive in that moment she couldn't get it precisely. But perhaps she could get it close enough, she mused, trying a second time and blowing it again, knowing she was getting closer. She waved it one last time, clarifying the tone, pretty sure she wasn't going to get any better from the small whistle than that.

"It's now or never," she admitted to the two wizards watching her carefully, blowing a third time.

That was when the room seemed to grow dim and the air heavy, and she found herself wondering where the whistle had gone. She glanced down at her hand without really meaning to, and watched as she…or was it he…slipped on the cursed ring. The gem sitting on a mount of what looked like eight spider legs turned on its back was quite tiny, but glowing brightly in the dark cavern.

It was then that he at last looked up and knew for a fact where he was; for he was Mallus Craw, and he was standing by the sarcophagus in the main chamber of Salazar's Tomb.

"Is it adequate, my lord?" came a voice from beside him. Mallus looked down at a thin, hunched, white-haired wizard that was wringing his hands nervously beside him. He looked small; insignificant…but even if Mallus' height hadn't been staggering, the smith would have still appeared that way. Groveling fool.

"I feel its influences tugging at me," Mallus murmured. Even at a murmur, his deep baritone voice carried through the cavern.

"Ah, that is good, it means the charms are working properly, my lord. The sensation should ease momentarily," the smith said, allowing himself a moment to be pleased with himself. Mallus mused over his reaction as he glanced at the ring, but decided after looking at it that indeed the wandsmith did deserve a moment to be pleased with himself.

He glanced at the sarcophagus and at the withering form inside, partially mummified from the limestone cavern, clutching a staff that Mallus knew would be death if he tried to remove it. Fine, let the dead wizard have his prize. It wasn't as if Mallus had either the desire or the inclination towards snakes to use it. It was much more useful as bait.

"Finish your curses upon the grave, Clemmons. There is no more to learn from here," Mallus said with certainty, the smith instantly moving in response and taking out his wand, murmuring a spell before closing the sarcophagus. A strange green ooze suddenly appeared as he did so, covering the cracks and hinges before fading away.

As he began to chant a different spell, Mallus walked over to the wall where all the known spells of darkness were transcribed, gazing over it carefully for a long time. At the last moment…at what seemed to be a whim…he swept his wand at one of the spells at the end and erased it, leaving only a chiseled surface.

"I am done, Lord Mallus," Clemmons said, and Mallus nodded sharply, pointing him towards the exit and snuffing out the torches around the Tomb.

They walked in silence through the passages with only Clemmons torch lighting the way, their footsteps the only sound to be heard; the dead, heavy weight of darkness dampening their path. A strange foreign echo…almost like the sound of someone calling a name…penetrated the black caverns through the back of Mallus' mind, but so evident it was that it didn't belong there that he quickly discounted it as they began to ascent up to a stone archway. Just beyond it stood a pair of hooded monks, waiting for them.

"What are you doing in here? Why aren't you with the others?" Mallus snapped, gesturing to them.

_The Priestess Awaits. She has quieted the Matron, _one of the monks signed back. Clemmons let out a soft cry of dismay, while Mallus simply sighed in annoyance.

"Oh no! What are we going to do? It'll be our deaths for sure!" Clemmons said, the terror evident in his eyes while Mallus simply pushed him towards the arch.

"Yours perhaps. She cannot kill me or she already would have," Mallus said simply. "Move."

"But my Lord, we are safer here. The Oracle has sent priestesses after me before, warning me that if I assisted you again that I would die a horrible death. Please, sir, I beg you, spare me from her!" Clemmons begged as Mallus pushed the sniveling coward through the arch and followed, letting out a short sigh at the inconvenience of it all.

"Very well, if you insist," Mallus said, taking out his wand. As Mallus pointed the wand at the smith, his panicked expression changed to one of pure terror as Mallus unleashed the Shrieking Death upon his servant, preferring to do it himself rather than to give his rivals such a satisfaction. The ring glowed brightly as he held the spell on the man, and in the shadows of the Tomb it proved to pack even more punch than Mallus expected as the man began to shriek and his ears began to bleed. Strange words began to form out of the shriek as the man started to writhe, and Mallus could almost hear a name within them.

_Jennifer!_

Out of seemingly nowhere, a glowing sword sliced though the path of Mallus's spell, and Jennifer suddenly cried out in relief at the fact that someone had gotten there to save the poor smith. But no…no he had died, she was sure of it. But then…where had that sword come from? In the darkness it was all she could see now…and even when she opened her eyes she could see it. An instant later, she realized there were three others in the room and she dazedly found herself looking up into a pair of black eyes.

"She's coming out of it," Severus said with certainty. "Andrew, secure that ring!"

"Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" Harry Potter asked from where he stood with the sword of Gryffindor in hand between Jennifer and the ring.

"One thing at a time, if you don't mind!" Severus said curtly, helping Jennifer get to a chair. "Are you all right?"

"I…I think so," Jennifer said at least, looking around. "I got stuck in one of Mallus Craw's memories. What are you doing here, Harry?"

"I felt a strong impulse…like the sword was calling out to me, and I ran here to find out what was going on," Harry explained. "Next thing I know, I come in here to find Andrew trying to dispel that ring and Severus over you shouting at me to grab the Sword which was floating in air and destroy the whistle on the floor with it. Why was the Sword of Nuatha floating in air?"

"Dumbledore must have rigged it to the security system at some point," Severus explained. "Something similar happened when Mallus' ghost showed up…letting Dumbledore know we were in trouble, more than likely."

"Just as well he did that then. I don't think I could have contained that thing on my own," Andrew admitted.

"I couldn't seem to reach her either," Severus sighed, frowning at Jennifer with concern.

"No I…it was too distant, somehow," Jennifer murmured, gazing at him. "I did feel something a couple of times, though. Can I have something to clear my head?" Severus immediately went over to his cloak. "I did hear something, but the memory was really to strong for it to break through. It was the memory of when the stone was first put in the ring," she explained, Severus glancing at her thoughtfully as he handed her a cup of laced tea. "They were in the Forbidden Tomb at the time." Severus, Harry, and Andrew all exchanged looks.

"Who are they?" Harry asked.

"Mallus Craw and Clemmons… He…well, he didn't make it out alive," Jennifer said with a troubled expression before concentrating on her tea. Andrew blinked at the name.

"Clemmons?" he repeated, wondering if that was a coincidence.

"That was the wandsmith who made Mallus Craw's wand, right?" Harry prompted. Jennifer nodded. Andrew gazed at Harry curiously.

"Apparently he had crafted the ring as well, or at the very least crafted the memory stone and all the curses around it."

"Did they mention what the quest itself was?" Severus asked, frowning when Jennifer shook her head.

"No, they seemed more intent with securing the Tomb at that point. They laid down a bunch of curses on the room and then Mallus decided to erase one of the spells on the wall…I don't know what it was for, I didn't really recognize it," Jennifer admitted.

"Wait…being the Keeper of Dark Magic, weren't you responsible for knowing all of them?" Andrew asked.

"Yes, well…you see, sometimes there are spells that…well, honestly, for one reason or another really shouldn't have been created at all, Andrew," Jennifer explained carefully. "So there are occasions where certain spells that have already fallen out of books and common knowledge sort of get…intentionally lost…by the current Keeper. Personally I find the method of simply altering the spell slightly is more effective, just in case someone does happen to stumble across one and misuse it. Because the slightly altered ones are usually close enough to key in specialists on how to counter the bad one it was changed from. In fact, I did that to one of the spells I passed down," she admitted.

"Plague?" Andrew asked. Jennifer shook her head.

"We're getting off the subject," Severus warned with a frown. "Jennifer, why don't you start from the beginning?"

Jennifer nodded and finished her tea while Harry put the sword back in place and everyone got settled, listening intently to what she experienced. Severus squinted suspiciously when she got to the part where she explained what the deaf monks had signed and their reactions but didn't say anything, his eyes turning his attention back to the ring sitting on the pedestal as she finished.

"Strange, isn't it?" Harry commented when everyone had gone quiet after she finished. "I suppose those priestesses Clemmons spoke of were right, though. He did die a horrible death."

"So it would seem," Severus said distantly.

"At least the ring has gone dormant again," Andrew commented, following his father's gaze. "Although I'm not sure we should consider the Puzzlebox a safe place to keep it considering it doesn't seem to protect from sound."

"Well, now that we know for certain how it's triggered, I am quite certain I can make a special container that would block even magic driven sounds, although it might take me a day or two," Jennifer admitted. "Until then I can put a Sonorous Shield around it."

"Let's leave it in here for now then," Severus decided, Jennifer nodding and getting up.

"Need any help?" Harry asked.

"I'd be more than a little afraid of having anyone other than a Craw try to cast on that thing right now, Harry, there is still quite a deal we don't know about it," Jennifer admitted. "It really is too bad that he wasn't thinking of that quest at all. If we knew that I'm sure we could unravel the rest. The only thing I am certain of is I don't want any member of this family finding out what it is the hard way."

"Well, hopefully there won't be any real reason for us to have to try," Andrew said, offering his hand and getting out his wand to help her seal it.

Watching thoughtfully from where he floated invisible in the back of the room, Icarus Ravenclaw somberly watched as they encased the ring in a shield, watching as another of his mortal memories began to unfold in front of him. Feeling quite disconcerted, Icarus wandered back towards the Divination Tower to brood until his classes the next day.


	10. Projects and Plumeria

Chapter Ten

Projects and Plumeria

Connie stopped in the library to grab a book before joining Lucky and Lindsay in the back room, sitting down with a grin on her face.

"What are you doing? Bit early for a book report already, isn't it?" Lindsay asked.

"Well, one of my Owl Goals is to learn how to listen to more than just words, so I figured I could work on learning sign language," Connie said.

"I don't think that's what that was supposed to mean," Lucky said with a frown.

"Maybe not, but it fits, doesn't it? What sort of goals do you have?" she asked. Lucky shrugged.

"They're all stupid. I'm just gonna concentrate on makin' up my own," she said.

"Well, I admit, some of them are a little vague. I have one that says…where is it…" Lindsay said, pulling out her scroll. 'Learn when to be charitable to yourself.' I haven't figured out what to do for that at all, so I'm working on one that has me researching my heritage."

"Sounds like a big morality lesson to me. I knew we were in for it this year," Lucky said. Just then Helena and Pimra walked in with several schoolbooks in hand.

"Hello girls! Have you looked at your goals yet?" Lindsay asked them, deciding to ignore Lucky's surliness.

"Yes, and I swear most of the Ravenclaws got similar advice, at least on one," Pimra said with a sigh, sitting down. "Some of them are pretty tough, aren't they?"

"I know mine are," Helena agreed, sitting down as well.

"Why, what sort of goals do you have?" Connie asked curiously.

"Actually…actually, they're pretty personal, really," Helena said uncomfortably.

"Boulderdash did make a point of saying we didn't have to share what they were," Lindsay pointed out when Connie frowned. "And she is right…they do feel quite personal don't they?"

"Let's just work on homework," Lucky suggested irritably. "I dunno about the rest of you, but I already got a lot to do without worrying about those dumb things. You may not care all that much, but I've already been warned about keeping my marks up if I wanna go to Hogsmeade and I don't have the benefit of long distance to keep them from finding out about it. Not like I can just change the score on the paper and get away with it anymore."

"Anymore?" Connie asked curiously.

"Forget it. Let's just work on Defense, okay?" Lucky said.

They had barely made any headway when Laura came in, waving at them with a smile.

"Hello, everyone! You might want to pick up if we're going to have lunch in here. It looked like Professor Scribe was getting ready to wrap up the choir when I passed by there a moment ago," Laura said, making a play at cleaning her ears. "Good thing too. She has them practicing 'Hogwarts Forever' of all things."

"Every song that choir sings sounds like 'Hogwarts Forever'" Lucky snorted.

"Oh, be nice, Lucky. I know you're in a rotten mood, but you don't have to share," Connie scolded her.

"Oh? Why is she in a rotten mood this time?" Laura asked, putting her books on a side table as the others started picking up theirs.

"She doesn't like her Owl Goals," Lindsay explained.

"Oh, those. Yes, some of them are rough, aren't they?" Laura agreed, Helena nodding to her in agreement. "But I think I know how to start on the worst of mine today if everyone cooperates."

"What's that supposed to mean? I thought we were supposed to work these out by ourselves," Lucky said.

"I think we're allowed to get outside help on them if we need to, Lucky," Lindsay reassured her.

"I know we are, because one of my goals is to lead a team to finish a goal," Pimra said glumly. "But I've never led anything! I'd rather do what everyone else wants to do!"

"That's probably why you were given that goal to begin with," Laura said with a grin. Pimra sighed, putting away her books and uncovering a lunch tray, which had already filled up with sandwiches, juice, and apples. "Anyhow, one of mine is to invent ways to teach tolerance, so I was thinking perhaps we can have Lyra join the order. She's a definite outsider who could really use some friends right now, and we can learn more about centaur society at the same time."

"I don't mind, I like Lyra," Connie agreed.

"It's okay with me," Lucky shrugged.

"I doubt anyone will have a problem with it, even though it might be awkward in here," Helena admitted.

"We'll adapt," Lindsay said easily.

"But if it's all the same, I'd rather talk about getting some more Slytherin in here first," Helena insisted.

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Lindsay asked curiously. Helena paused as the door opened and Dale and Ambrose came in.

"So! Who else got stuck with the goal of joining the newspaper?" Dale asked, unsurprised when all the Ravenclaws raised their hands. Dale chuckled. "That settles it. Professor Craw must have set that goal up."

"I think I'm going to join too. There're a lot of openings this year because so many graduated," Ambrose said. "What about you, Lucky?"

"No way. I got enough to deal with because of the sparring thing," Lucky said, grabbing an apple.

"Helena was about to tell us who she was thinking of inviting from Slytherin," Lindsay prompted.

"Great!" Ambrose said, taking the head seat while Dale found a seat at the other end.

"I have two names so far, actually, one of them I don't think anyone should mind _too_ much," Helena said carefully. "One is Veronica Greisley."

"Don't know her," Lindsay admitted.

"I do, actually, and considering one of the names I was going to bring up asked about her, I'm all for it," Ambrose said. "My cousin, Winnie Brim."

"Oh, no. Here we go again!" Connie sighed, everyone looking at her curiously. "I'm fine with inviting Winnie and Veronica, don't get me wrong. But what about getting some guys in here?"

"I'm inviting Bobby, Connie," Dale chuckled at her.

"Well, that's great for Lindsay, but what about the rest of us?" Connie said with exasperation. Lindsay turned bright red.

"Invite Gary too, that way you'll have that other Gryffindor spot filled," Dale suggested. Lucky propped her head in her hand but didn't say anything.

"Please tell me the other person you have in mind is a guy, Lena," Connie said. Helena shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, no…although I did have a third year boy ask about the order after our House meeting, but I didn't think anyone would go for it. Dirk Atchison," she said. Lucky made a face, but Connie thought it over.

"Well, he's not friendly, but he's cute," she said with a nod. Laura and Lindsay rolled their eyes.

"The other girl is someone Veronica asked about, Beth Coventry…now before you start in on it, she's nothing like her brothers…" Helena said quickly when she saw the frowns from everyone at the table.

"I think maybe we ought to all try to get to know some of these folks before we even think of trying to vote on them, especially the first years," Laura said, looking as skeptical as the rest about the last name.

"Yes, but how? I mean, we're hardly on the same schedules, are we?" Dale pointed out.

"There must be some easy way to size them all up."

"Well, why don't we conduct interviews or something maybe?" Ambrose suggested. Everyone else exchanged glances except for Lucky, who seemed to be picking at the table.

"I think it's a good idea," Helena said with a nod when the glances began to settle on her.

"Let's us get together and see if we can't work out a list of questions everyone will agree on then," Lindsay said. Lucky glanced at the clock then and got up, everyone watching her curiously.

"You alright, Lucky?" Ambrose frowned.

"I gotta get ready for forms," she said with a shrug, picking up her books and walking out of the room. The rest of them watched her go for a moment, glancing between each other before finishing their lunch and getting back to their homework.

Lucky walked up to the gym to find it empty, which really wasn't all that surprising considering how early she was. She dropped off her pack and wandered into the Trophy room, glancing up above the door to see that Caprica had dozed off.

"Hullo, Lucky! Need something?" the portrait of Corey asked from the Sentinels painting on the other wall curiously. Shuffling the cards, Danny frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

"Nah, it's just…just checkin'," Lucky said with a shrug, walking back into the other room. Making herself comfortable with the back to the wall, she dutifully pulled out her Transfiguration book and was still sitting there reading when Andrew arrived, noticing her reflection in the mirror as he walked in.

"Here all ready?" Andrew asked curiously, but saw she wasn't planning on answering and instead was concentrating on putting her things away. "I half wondered if I was going to have to go in there and peel you away from those friends of yours today."

"Nah, I was feelin' crowded," Lucky admitted, getting up. "They're more Ambrose's friends than my friends anyhow."

"Oh? What about Connie?" he asked.

"She don't count! She's a roommate!" Lucky said, waving it off. "I just don't know if I want to put up with this Owl stuff anymore. I'm not sure I believe in what it stands for now."

"Oh, well, I suppose I can understand that then," Andrew said thoughtfully, nodding. "What do you stand for these days, anyhow?"

"I'm not sure I know anymore," Lucky admitted, getting broody again. Andrew smiled, walking up to the front.

"In that case, I suggest you stay in the Order until you figure it out," Andrew advised. "For your own sake, not theirs. Come on, lil' sis, we'd better get on this; I've a date tonight. And maybe if you've made enough progress on your homework before I get back in the morning, I'll sneak you out of the castle for a few hours tomorrow afternoon since I know you're not interested in joining Quidditch tryouts."

"Not me," Lucky said but with a much improved grin, glad of any excuse to get away. "Did you say one date? _Uno?_ On a Saturday?" she gawked.

"I've been cutting back," Andrew admitted, pointing her at a spot to get her lined up. "Really, I've been feeling much better since I have, actually. It's rather nice having time to spend on other things and not having to always rush to get my work done. Besides, it's not like I'm completely settling down," he added when he saw her disapproving look.

"Man, bro, I don't believe you're doin' this to me now. It makes me lose my faith in humanity! The last thing I want is to watch you go and conform too! I mean, if you start getting' conventional, what chance have I got?" Lucky protested. Andrew simply chuckled at her and started her on a new block routine.

* * *

Professor Craw decided to open up the lab for her Items and Dabblers classes for a few hours the next morning since she knew she was going to be stuck working in there anyhow. She was busy charming a silver link chain when Dale came in, not noticing him watching her at first as she finished her task. Finally she looked up with a smile as he curiously inspected a small trinket box beside the chain she was working on, partially dismantled so that all the adornments had been removed and set aside in a small container.

"Oh, hello! Here to work on your amplifier thing I imagine," she said.

"Yes, Professor, although I still wish I could use a metal base instead of wood," Dale admitted as he went back over to the wood samples he had picked up, not happy with the results on any of his tests.

"Yes, I know they're better sound conductors, but you're not ready for smelting yet and the only ones soft enough you could handle are lead and gold," Craw said, not taking her eyes off her project as she carefully bonded the chain to the box with her wand, a bright flash of hot white light coming off the metal as she did so. "The first I'm certainly not going to let an underage wizard work with, and the second is unaffordable…especially if something goes wrong and you have to start over. Perhaps you should hold off on that until the end of the year? You should be far enough in Transfiguration to give silver a go then," she suggested, glancing up at him when she paused to give her work a moment to cool and get used to the new spells.

"Well, I understand why the school couldn't afford it, but do you suppose I could Owl my mother about it? I'm sure I can get in my accounts if it's for a school project," Dale said. Craw gazed at him searchingly for a moment, finally nodding.

"Very well! I'll add my signature to the Owl for you…how many items students do I get with a knack for harmonic magic, after all?" she said, more to herself than to him. Dale grinned. "But I insist you put off that other project of yours until you can handle more metal transfiguration."

"Yes, Professor," Dale said, putting aside his samples and getting out some paper.

"So how are things coming with the Order this year?" she asked conversationally as she wandered over to the breakfast tray to check for coffee.

"Fairly well," Dale said carefully, wondering if he should mention what had happened with Lucky or not. Well, she probably knew more than he did about that, or would the moment she got a good look in her face, he reasoned. "We voted Bobby March in last night. I suppose he'll be encouraged to join the paper as well?"

"Dale, if that's your way of trying to sort out who set what Owl Goals, I am not falling for the bait. There's no way I'm going against the Headmaster's insistence that none of us hint at who suggested what on those," Craw said sternly. "Besides, we've finally filled out all the Ravenclaw positions we lost since last year now," she added in a low voice, taking a sip of her coffee. Dale grinned at her despite the fact she wouldn't meet his gaze, turning back to his letter.

By lunch the students had come in that morning were wrapping things up, partially to get ready for tryouts and partially at Craw's insistence, for she had a lot still to do that day. Grabbing a sandwich, she hurried upstairs to change, getting a notebook before cutting through Severus' sitting room and slipping into the study, unsurprised to find him sitting at the desk working.

"I hope you're not planning to spend all day there," she chided him as she walked over, buttoning her gloves. "Did you get it squared away with the Ministry?"

"You must have known I would, considering you're already dressed to head out the door," Severus said evenly, taking one last glance at the page in front of him before looking up. "I even went ahead and got you permission to leave the Archives door open...you know how the recording office gets on that issue. I take it they've already left? Where were they going again?"

"I believe Andrew said something about Prinknash Abbey," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "But considering Alicia is also going, they're more than likely to end up anywhere," she added mischievously.

"I hope they have sense enough to at least stay in this county during this bird expedition of theirs. I don't want to have to fill out some sort of underaged witch incident report from halfway across the globe," Severus said briskly, giving Jennifer even more reason to look amused.

"I seriously doubt with the three of them along that Lucky is going to get into any trouble. In fact, I think Francis mentioned something about inviting Alex as well. You have very little to worry about," Jennifer reassured him.

"Which is exactly why I'm worried," Severus said curtly, looking at his watch. Jennifer chuckled and shook her head. "Don't stay out too late."

"And don't stay in the study all day," Jennifer said back, kissing him gently before heading out the door, unsurprised when the stairs lead straight down to the main entrance to prevent her from trying to jump them.

* * *

Plumeria Plum, the current Minister of Archives, was an elderly prudish witch that got the job on her one and only merit; relation. A daughter of Byron's aunt, she was Draco's second cousin (twice removed), and Draco (who had very, very, very few relatives he was on speaking terms with) decided to set the crass old widow up with the job. It was, after all, mostly filing, sorting, and paper pushing that someone with even wavering magic could handle, and it had the added benefit of having an office in a part of the basement far away from where Draco Malfoy's offices were.

The request to keep the archives open on a weekend came as a bit of a surprise to her. But once she found out who it was for, Plumeria quickly agreed to it, more than a little curious to meet the famous Professor Craw Snape in person and see if she looked even half as young as she did in the newspapers. In fact, the woman was eyeing her so openly when she arrived that Jennifer couldn't help but blush a bit, somehow managing a cordial smile.

"You must be Minister Plum? Thank you very much for coming in for me today, and for the door as well," Jennifer added, nodding to the heavy stone statue placed in front of the weighted door.

"Quite all right, Professor," Plumeria said with a thin smile. "You have your mother's eyes, I see. Didn't care for me much, your mother, but I suppose it went both ways. A bit too nice for my liking…I never did trust anyone who was too nice too me. Your father's a good man, though. Of course, he doesn't like me either. He says I make his skin crawl. Shall I pull some files out for you?" she asked smoothly.

"Um…yes, I need to get whatever public listings you have for the Clemmons family and I need access to my family's records from the Mallus Craw years. I'm told that the old Wizard Council records from that time period are kept here as well?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, way in the back. I won't insult you by explaining the blood test to you to get to those old records…just what sort of potions are you taking anyhow? Don't you have trouble with people looking down on you, when you look as young as you do?" she asked bluntly while she tapped her wand towards a filing cabinet to find where the information was kept.

"Er…I'm not really sure at the moment," Jennifer said carefully, although she was beginning to realize why neither parent cared much for her.

"Not sure that you're troubled or not sure they look down on you?" Plumeria asked. Jennifer simply stared at her, but the old woman didn't wait long for an answer. "Here we are, along the back wall as I suspected. I'll show you to a table nearby and I'll pull those Clemmons files for you."

Much to Jennifer's relief, once she was settled the old woman sauntered off to get some work done, leaving Jennifer on her own. It didn't take long before Jennifer realized that her own work was cut out for her. At the time that Mallus was still alive, there were many different regencies within the Wizard Council, all scattered about and many of them acting in secret without any clue of what the others were doing except for the rare times they met, only getting together for meetings which from everything she knew about pre-Ministry government often broke out in complete mayhem. But Jennifer had a feeling that she wouldn't have to dig too deep into the chaotic politics of the time to find some sort of criminal listing for Mallus Craw considering how many villages he destroyed.

Wishing she had brought Alex along to help with the language differences of the time period, Jennifer slowly made her way through the old texts until finding the list of villages she had been looking for, scribbling them in her notebook. Most of them seemed to have only single deaths or a death of a complete family, she realized, a chill going down her back as she realized how similar that seemed to what Voldemort had done. But then she noticed three towns with corpse counts sorted simply into men, women, and children, one of which being the town of Hamlin. She frowned at the other two, Efadwyn and Loch Bron, for except for noting that one was in Wales and the other in Ireland, there was no other mention where they were located. She was dead certain neither of them existed anymore…intentionally buried, perhaps, after the terror of the time, and probably long swallowed by the modern age with houses upon houses built upon them. She had been hoping that where they were might clue her in to what he had been searching for. But then, why were they so far apart? She sighed and turned to read the crimes in more detail, but although there were many gruesome tales of victims inflicted by the Shrieking Death, not one mention could she find of any accusation of theft or mention of any items in the process.

A shadow fell across her reading light and she looked up to see Plumeria there with a pair of tomes in hand, apparently filled with carefully preserved parchments bound together in an attempt to keep related material together and organized.

"Here's the file on Clemmons, Professor, although I'm afraid without family authorization you will find it unenlightening," she warned.

"Thank you," Jennifer said, trying not to get irritated at the woman's certainty of that, for there was no way the woman could know exactly what she was researching and why.

"I also pulled the Craw marriage and death certificate list as well for you," she added, showing her the other tomb.

"Oh, you didn't have to go to the trouble, I know most of them already," Jennifer protested, but took it as well. "Thank you, though."

"Yes, well, it'll probably save me the trouble of getting it later if you do have need of it," the woman said bluntly. "Now I can go about my work in peace, and leave you to do yours. I'll be at my desk when you're ready, or if not I'll be just up the stairs in the coffee room."

"All right, thanks again," Jennifer said, glad when the woman walked off.

Letting out a sigh and shaking her head at herself for letting it annoy her, Jennifer carefully opened up the first tome at the large ribbon marking off where she needed to be. She immediately frowned, realizing that the woman had been right after all. For just when she had gotten down the list of names to find the one she was looking for, the list suddenly stopped. For under the name of Osgar Clemmons, Wandsmith, were his three sons, all with different death dates, but not one, it seemed, continued the line. Or maybe they changed their name for some reason? Yes, that might make sense, she reasoned, but why? Muttering to herself, Jennifer realized after flipping a few pages that it was probably not in the public part of the files. Making another note of the names, Jennifer sighed, flipping through the other book to the marker resignedly, glancing at the name of Mallus Craw, his wife Audry…a distant cousin, she remembered, and an arranged marriage…Vindious, his only son, and his two children, Mortius and Ambrosia. Her line ended too, of course. But she had expected that. And yet…something bothered her about the family tree now that she looked at it. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on…until she realized just how starkly linear it was.

She frowned at it thoughtfully, flipping back to Janus' time. He, at least, had several children, but it seemed he was one of the few, and she realized quite alarmingly that all of his children's lines except for that of his first son died off within a generation or two. She rubbed her head, feeling a bit strained. The majority of Craws had but one son before they had stopped. Others had two; a girl being first, then a boy, all the way to Mortius' three children. But once again, only one continued the line onward…granted, many of the abrupt endings she could account for in history…a lot had come to foul deaths because of their deeds, such as Queen Anlyn, beheaded from a revolt ten years after poisoning her family. She also didn't know why it had never bothered her before. Was there at one point some sort of odd curse on the family line keeping it from growing too big, she wondered, or was it just a coincidence? It was as she stared at it and weighed the odds of that happening that she realized how unlikely 'mere coincidence' was. But if there was something causing it, why did it stop at her generation?

Jennifer got up, knowing now there were a few more family lines she wanted to look up before she became too convinced that some greater force was at work. But she took no more than a few short steps between the bookshelves before she suddenly began to feel out of breath, pausing a moment to regain it only to find it getting harder and harder to breathe. A strange numbness came over her, and she reached for the shelf to try to steady herself, only succeeding in making several books tumble with her as she fell to the ground unconscious.


	11. Incidents of Coincidence

Chapter Eleven

Incidents of Coincidence

Jennifer found herself waking to a pair of stormy grey-green eyes, frowning in complete confusion.

"There, she's coming to," Thomas said, gazing at her steadily. "All right, there, Jen-girl?"

"What happened?" Jennifer asked.

"You went head over heels again, obviously," Thomas grunted. "Maybe you should send someone else down there when you need something from now on?" Jennifer blinked then sat up, realizing she was in the small clinic in the Ministry building. Near the door stood Plumeria Plum, looking quite inconvenienced over it all, moving out of the way a moment to let in Ginger Davidson, who walked in carrying a steaming mug.

"Here it is, Minister Craw," Ginger said, handing him the mug, and he in turn held it up for Jennifer, who reluctantly took a drink and grimaced from the taste. "Oh, now, don't give me that! You're lucky I even had everything on hand to make you one, I'm a poison tester, not a doctor."

"Thank you," Jennifer said dryly.

"She can't help it, she's a born critic," Thomas said gruffly, but obviously glad she was looking better when he passed the mug back over to Ginger.

"I wonder where I get it from," Jennifer retorted.

"Is it safe to assume you are done for the day?" Plumeria asked.

"I need to get my notebook…"

"Oh, no, you don't, Jen-girl, you stay put until Severus gets here. Plumeria, go fetch," Thomas said. Plumeria smiled poisonously at him.

"You have no authority to order me around, Minister," she said crisply.

"It's all right, Minister Plum, I'll go get it," Ginger said quickly, not wanting to hear the two of them go at it again.

"Fine, I shall reopen the Archives for you and see if I need to itemize any damages on any of those priceless record books that were dropped in the process," she said, walking out of the room.

"How I utterly despise that woman!" Thomas snarled.

"I am very quickly learning to agree with you," Jennifer said with a nod.

Severus waited impatiently for Hermione to arrive from home before grabbing a key and hurrying out of the castle, glancing at his watch to check the time then at his wedding ring, noting its strangely pale color despite the fact it had begun to gravitate back to blue. He frowned at it slightly, but became more eager to get where he was going, Apparating straight into reception and taking unusually long strides down the empty corridors as he hurried towards the clinic, glancing down every now and then at his ring worriedly.

It was as he was doing this that he turned an abrupt corner and crashed into woman who had been busy reading something off a clipboard, sending her as well as several scrolls and books to the floor.

"Terribly sorry," Severus said sincerely, offering her a hand.

But when she looked up, he hesitated, instantly regretting his offer although not completely understanding why. She was a comely woman, perhaps in her mid thirties, with long black hair that probably covered most of her back when it was in order and curiously dark blue eyes that seemed more sapphire-like than a normal color. Perhaps she was part Veela, he pondered as she stood and tried to make her own flustered attempts at apology. It would definitely explain her looks, and how her weight accented her figure, much like it had come to on his mother-in-law, not to mention the fact…when she bent over to gather her scrolls, Severus quickly turned away and helped her, handing them over and excusing himself as fast as he was able to continue his way down the hall.

Just what he needed right now, Severus thought with irritation. If Jennifer knew there was another one of _those_ in the area, she'd probably either attempt to ban Severus from the Ministry, or at the very least she'd be dogging him incessantly any time he had to come for one reason or the other. He forced the encounter out of his mind as he slipped into the clinic to see Jennifer sitting up and Thomas glancing over her notebook with a thoughtful hand over his chin.

"You know, Jennifer, to be fair, our family has been hunted as much as they've hunted others. This linear descendant thing of yours may just be a sign of it. I'd say there's been many a time when people have tried to exterminate our family line. As you know they nearly succeeded this generation as well," Thomas said dryly. "This family is lucky to have survived for so long, especially after all that foolishness with Lucius…"

"Please, Dad, I really don't want to get into that again. And I'm not talking about just our generation. I mean, I would have thought that at least some of the Craw daughters who got remarried and took a different name would have been able to branch out a bit, but none of those seemed to have carried the line either, and the only one I can account for intentionally dying out is Ambrosia and Andrew."

"Most of the others were simply executed or died from normal circumstances, Jennifer, nobody lived too long in those days. Oh, hello, Severus," he added, and Jennifer looked up in surprise.

"Oh! Severus, I hope I didn't worry you," Jennifer said when he sighed with exasperation, giving him a hug.

"So you did, and here I find you sitting casually in the clinic talking about family trees as if nothing in the world was wrong. What happened?" Severus asked.

"The usual, although Jen-girl had the misfortune of having Minister Pruneface pick her up off the floor this time," Thomas snorted.

"It wasn't all that usual, but yes, I fainted. I feel fine now, really, Dad's just being overcautious," Jennifer complained. Severus squinted.

"What do you mean, it wasn't all that usual?" he asked.

"I don't know…" Jennifer murmured thoughtfully. "Only…one minute I was fine, the next I was completely out of breath and couldn't manage to regain it."

"Yes, but isn't that what always happens when you have one of these attacks?" Severus said.

"Well, yes, although…I don't remember that closed in feeling I usually get right before everything gets funny on me," Jennifer said. Severus frowned at her, then glanced at Thomas.

"She was down in that close room with towering bookcases for two hours. Door open or not, that'd get to anyone. I know I always feel stifled anytime I need to go down there to look anything up," Thomas put in.

"All the same, why don't you go see Sagittari when we get back just to be on the safe side. And from now on, I or someone else will do that part of the research," Severus said firmly.

"Keep me up to date on this ring business, if you don't mind. I don't like how this is coming to a head all of the sudden," Thomas said.

"You and me both," Jennifer agreed. "In fact, the longer I have it now, the sorrier I am I ever picked the thing out of his tomb."

"Better you having it than anyone else. I'd hate to see what that ring would do to someone who isn't a Craw," Severus pointed out. Thomas nodded thoughtfully as they left the room, lost in thought for a moment before finally getting back up and heading to his office.

* * *

Lucky arrived late that evening to find practically everyone had already went to their dorm rooms in attempts of finishing all the homework they had put off all weekend. Most of the lights had been dimmed or snuffed when she slipped into the common room, but she couldn't help but notice that the large door to Lyra's room was open and bright light came from inside.

It was a large walnut door right next to the common room itself, where once hung a fanciful tapestry of knights around a table while outside a strange scaled beast frolicked in a meadow. Whether or not the door had always been behind the tapestry, Lucky had no idea. But once the tapestry had been moved a few nights after the Sorting, no one gave it more than a passing thought. After all, the stairs to the dorm rooms were quite narrow for a centaur, and Lucky couldn't quite imagine a creature like that trying to sleep in a normal bed. A wave of curiosity hit her in that moment, and as quietly as she could she slipped over to the door to have a look.

Lyra stood at a tall desk looking quite frustrated, glaring at her homework as fiercely as if she were challenging it to a duel. When Lucky knocked on the door, she took a step back in surprise, sizing the human girl up, who seemed to be doing the same thing.

"You know, you probably shouldn't take your shirt off like that if you leave the door open," Lucky commented. "You'll end up having half the guys down here stalking outside if any of them catch you like that."

"Why?" Lyra asked.

"Well it's…because they're…well, they're jerks," Lucky shrugged. "What are you working on? Can I come in?"

"I don't know. What sky were you born under?" she asked thoughtfully. Lucky thought back to her Astrology course for a moment.

"Pisces at the rising crown of Virgo. I think that's right," Lucky said. Lyra laughed. "What?"

"It's right, it makes perfect sense for you, especially if your name is Lucky," she grinned.

"Well, actually, it's Fortuna, but don't tell anyone that," Lucky said, earning even more laughter. "It's not _that_ bad!" she scowled.

"It just means it's even more right, that's all," Lyra laughed. "Virgo's crown is a reference to Tyche, who was also called Fortuna. I suppose being a Pisces you must have then been born in the daytime since you can't see Virgo at night that time of year, and therefore in this case rising means morning…usually it's in the first hours of the evening when the constellations aren't hidden. Your ruling house in the day is Venus, so any reference to Virgo at all would have to mean Tyche, although since it's not mentioned, you were born in late morning, when the sun has blinded the planet, you see. I say, though, that means you have opposing symbols! That would drive me insane, I think."

"I have no idea what you just said," Lucky said flatly, although slightly amazed that the centaur was able to get so close to the time of her birth from just that.

"Well Pisces is a water symbol, and Virgo is air," Lyra explained.

"Well, yeah, I knew that much," Lucky said.

"But considering when you were born and the latitudes at that point you must be a strongest with fire. The sun overshadows your other two symbols," she explained. Immediately all the color drained out of Lucky's face as she stared at Lyra in complete horror. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Lyra asked with a frown. "It isn't that bad, really! All your signs make you very independent and adaptable too, you know. I just didn't think it'd be such fun to be in constant battle with yourself all the time. Besides, there are a lot worse fates out there! Mine is much worse," she chuckled.

"I'm not sure I believe all that fate stuff anyhow, it's all stupid! The only destiny I got is the one I make for myself!" Lucky snapped at her, while Lyra stared back in confusion. "I make my own luck! I don't need any stupid stars telling me what I can and can't do. I'm the only one who can do that. And you can make your own mind without them too, so whatever it is you think they say, ignore it."

"Ignore it?" Lyra stared at her in disbelief.

"So what homework are you doin' anyhow?" Lucky said, stepping inside. Lyra sighed.

"Transfiguration," she said at last. Lucky winced.

"Yeah, that's not my best subject either," Lucky admitted, walking over to the table.

"I just don't understand the point of it. What's wrong with leaving things the way they are?" Lyra complained.

"Well, it can come in handy in an emergency. Like…say you were all alone on a deserted island or something…"

"How would I have gotten there?" Lyra asked, bewildered.

"Shipwrecked," Lucky said.

"I don't like boats," Lyra said with a frown, remembering her trip across the lake.

"It was just an example," Lucky sighed. "If you got stuck someplace like that you can't get out of, it's a good survival tool, 'cuz you can use what's around you to make life bearable. I know there are times I could have used it before I came here." Lyra grew thoughtful, glancing over her work. "You know, one thing that might help is if you used normal handwriting instead of trying to print it." Lyra blinked.

"What's wrong with my handwriting?" Lyra asked with a frown.

"Well, nuthin', I mean, it's probably the neatest print I've seen, but it must take you forever to write that all out," Lucky said.

"Yes, it does," Lyra admitted with a sigh. Lucky nodded.

"I'll talk to the others about it. We can help you learn cursive when you come study with us," Lucky said. Lyra grinned at her.

"If you say so," she said. "I do like to learn, although I really don't like all this reading. I'd rather learn from someone than read it!"

"Yeah," Lucky said thoughtfully. "Yeah, me too. Can I ask you something?" Lyra gazed at her, baffled.

"Didn't you just ask me something by asking me if you could ask me something?" Lyra said. Lucky thought about it.

"You're right, that's a stupid question, isn't it?" Lucky grinned. "Just how do you sleep on that?" she went on, pointing at what looked to be a large gym mat and a shelf about three feet off the ground and filled with pillows.

"Oh! Well, actually I don't use the pillows much, only if I decide to sleep sitting up like father does," Lyra explained, going over and pulling her legs under her and leaning her elbows and head against the pillow. "I prefer to lie on my side really, it's much more comfortable, but I'm not supposed to," she admitted in a lowered voice, her eyes full of mischief. "Father says it'll mess up my backs when I get older." Lucky tilted her head as she tried to think about it.

"Ya, I can see that," Lucky said after a moment, exploring the room curiously.

"The bed is not even completely necessary, really. I can sleep standing up too. All our elders and guards sleep standing up," Lyra explained.

"Where do you go to the bathroom?"

"Oh, down near Father's hut," Lyra said, trying to chuckle off her embarrassment. "He has a private area just inside the forest, really. I shower there too."

"That's why you have breakfast down there, huh?" Lucky asked.

"Yes, and he's been teaching me how to control my wild magic so it doesn't interfere with my spells before classes too," Lyra explained. "But I am doing better! Even Professor Weasley thinks so. Charms is my best subject now. What's yours?"

"Arithmantics," Lucky said. "Number magic," she added when Lyra looked confused.

"I suppose it would be born under a sky like that," Lyra said. Lucky gave her a dirty look but then turned her attention back to the room. She glanced over at a bureau, the only typical piece of furniture in the entire room, inspecting a rack with room for thirty phials, half of which were still full.

"What are the potions for?" Lucky asked, picking one up curiously.

"Oh, that's just my medicine, I have to take one every night," Lyra said with a sigh.

"Really? You don't look sick to me," Lucky said, putting it back.

"Nothing like that, it just keeps me from coming of age while I'm in school," Lyra said, finishing the last line of homework she was on. Lucky stared at her. "You know, like…well, to prevent me from going into heat."

"Ah! I get it. That time-of-the-month potion," Lucky said with amusement.

"No, I have to take it every day," Lyra said, but Lucky didn't look any less amused as she walked back over to the table. "Father says it'd cause problems in school. This just makes sure my body waits until summer, although I don't know how a silly potion is going to help if my stars decide it's time for me to come of age."

"Man, I'm glad stars don't get to decide when humans come of age," Lucky snorted.

"Really? How do humans do it?" Lyra asked curiously.

"Age, mostly. You know, birthdays, though what that age is kinda depends on where you grew up, sometimes even what religion you are," Lucky explained. "Back where I come from, girls have a big coming out party on their fifteenth birthday…a _Quinceañera._ There's a special church service, and you meet up with all your friends and relatives afterwards and have a dance."

"Really? When's yours?" Lyra asked with interest.

"Oh, uh, a year and a half from now, not that it really matters anymore. They don't do that kinda thing here," Lucky shrugged, waving it off. Lyra frowned. "Sometimes people throw debutante parties when they graduate here, though."

"Graduate? But that's seven years from now!" Lyra gawked.

"Yeah," Lucky said, propping her head up. Lyra looked somber as well.

"But I'm not even sure I'm going to be alive that long," Lyra said with a sigh. "The stars sure don't think so." Lucky turned and stared at the centaur's serious expression, not quite certain how to react.


	12. Stargazers

Chapter Twelve

Stargazers

Hermione walked in the the Headmaster's Study early the next morning to drop off some papers before class, completely unsurprised to find Severus already sitting there with a half empty coffee pot and an empty candy dish at his side as he went through some neglected post.

"Do you ever even leave the room?" she teased, double checking the order of her papers before setting them on his desk.

"Yes, I did last night, as you'll recall," he said curtly, not looking up.

"Oh, yes, how is Jennifer?" she asked.

"Perfect health as always, and more than likely just her claustrophobia considering all the time she's been spending underground between the bank vaults, dungeon, and everything else. Sagittari recommended she do what work she can in the lab where she has windows to look out of and advised her to get outdoors more," Severus said. "There definitely won't be any more research trips. Now that she has that sound barrier box of hers to put the ring into, we shouldn't have anymore issues on the matter." Hermione raised her eyebrows at that.

"You don't mean by that you think we should just…"

"Leave well enough alone? I think that'd be nice for a change, yes," Severus said bluntly. "Personally, I had more than enough adventures last year, didn't you?"

"Well, the paintings were a bit of a pain," Hermione agreed. "Though really, we've faced much worse than that."

"The school wouldn't survive anything worse than Ciardoth," Severus said crisply.

"No, probably not," Hermione agreed. "But in any case, it's really not about whether or not you or I will leave well enough alone or not, is it?" Severus let out a long sigh.

"Was there anything else?" he asked.

"Yes, one thing of interest you might like to know. I had a student waiting at my door this morning when I came in, wanting to pick up another class," Hermione said.

"Rather normal for that to happen during these first few weeks, isn't it?" Severus said, not seeing how that would interest him in the slightest.

"True enough, although I thought I'd save some paper for a parental letter about getting her another book," Hermione said, smiling slightly when Severus finally looked up. "Lucky wants to take another year in Astrology." Severus stared at her expressionlessly a moment.

"Did she give any hint as to why?" he asked.

"She shrugged and said she felt like it," Hermione admitted.

"At least the answer is like her. But the real reason is obvious," Severus said, signing off on a paper she handed to him. "I suppose you know they are inviting her into the Order?"

"No, but I'm not surprised. It should be good for all of them," Hermione said, but Severus frowned thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," he said distantly, then glanced at his appointment book. "Have Librarian Boulderdash for lunch and reschedule Professor Ravenclaw for a later date."

"He won't be happy about you putting off your appointment with him again," Hermione warned, shaking her head.

"Whatever Ick has to say can wait a day. It isn't as if he hasn't been bugging me enough without an appointment as it is," Severus said unconcernedly, burying his nose in his paperwork again.

* * *

It was a fairly quick run from the newspaper room up the Divination stairs, so Ambrose found he was one of the first to arrive for class; a definite improvement from last year where he often arrived at the last minute huffing and puffing. He had plenty of time to settle his books and peer curiously at what appeared to be a lazy susan with a shallow bowl that had been placed in the center of his table, experimentally touching the surface to make certain it was water.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not yet!" the voice of Professor Ravenclaw spoke from seemingly all around him. Quickly Ambrose sat down and pulled out his homework, book, and dream journal and was glancing over them as the other students arrived.

Divination II was a fairly small class of sixteen students comprised of mostly fourth and fifth years, two sixth, one seventh, and, of course, one third year, Ambrose Bailey, who had been put in Divination early by the Headmaster after some startling dream revelations he had made at one time or another. It seemed to be his only talent in the area so far; his attempts at some of the other skills of card reading and yarrow tossing and taseomancy and numerology were nothing special, despite the fact that he aced the course in bookwork concerning the mechanics of each skill. But Icarus had a feeling that this next section would prove different…for it involved tools made specifically for a visionist of Ambrose's ability.

"Come, come, everyone find your seats," said Ravenclaw's voice from all around them.

A fifth year and fellow Hufflepuff, Cindy Lerring, sat down beside Ambrose with a grin. She had learned early on that labs were a lot easier with Ambrose as a partner, especially in areas outside her interest in palm reading. The ghostly professor waited several minutes past time for class to allow the last of the students to take their places without saying a word about it as he faded into view, the door to the classroom silently closing on its own.

"I hope everyone had a good weekend and that you had plenty of time to do your homework on scrying techniques, for as I'm sure you can tell from the Scrying Pools on your tables that we're going into Hydromancy today," Ravenclaw said. "It's a very old and time honored method of divination, and I for one prefer it to many other scrying tools since you don't need any charms on the vessel and only pure, clean water and a bit of light. Other methods can sometimes harbor hidden dangers," he said with such a dry tone that Ambrose couldn't help but wonder about it. "But back to that in a moment. Everyone pass up your homework and get out your Dream Journals so I might review them. Did anyone have cause to add to them this past week?" Ambrose's hand went quickly up, while a smattering of others also raised a hand but without as much enthusiasm. "Good, good! Any questions?" he asked, all the hands falling but Ambrose's. "Yes, Mr. Bailey?"

"I'm having trouble finding anything in my dream interpretation book on the one I wrote down. What does it mean when I dream about a field of divination?" Ambrose asked carefully.

"It means you're studying too hard," Jim Thames snorted. Several of the others chuckled at that.

"It could mean that, yes," Ravenclaw said good naturedly, floating over to Ambrose's table while the homework at the front of the rows simply lifted up and stacked themselves on his desk. "Which field, might I ask?"

"Astrology, actually," Ambrose said. The ghost gazed at him thoughtfully.

"Care to share it, or would you rather wait until after class?" Ravenclaw asked.

"I don't mind," Ambrose said, and the professor nodded for him to continue. "I had a dream that I was looking up at the sky, and the stars were all connected by lines much like they are on a constellation chart. Then all the sudden the line between Castor and Pollux in Gemini broke apart and all the stars and started falling. Then lines looking like Sagitarrius came up and tried to put it back where it belonged but he couldn't do it, so then Scorpius came up behind them and tried too, but when it snatched at the stars and grabbed a hold of it, it ended up falling too, and they disappeared out of the sky. That's when I woke up," he said. Ravenclaw gazed back at the boy silently for a moment.

"Wait a minute…" Jim began, belatedly putting up a hand. Ravenclaw glanced up at him and nodded. "I'm not sure what the dream means, sir, but there is a problem with the whole scenario. I can see Sagittarius and Scorpius acting together, they're right next to each other. But Gemini isn't anywhere neither either of them. It's not even in the same region."

"That is quite true, Mr. Thames," Ravenclaw nodded thoughtfully. "But dreams, visionary or otherwise, are very seldom meant to be taken literally; they are expressive and often metaphoric. More than likely the constellations in his dream were symbols of people or future events or both. Perhaps you will see this in more depth as part of this week's lesson," he added quietly. Ambrose frowned. He had been hoping for more insight than that, but something in Ravenclaw's somber reaction told Ambrose that it was definitely more than a random dream. Ravenclaw floated through the room and glanced over some of the other dreams written down with a nod or sometimes a soft comment before wandering back up to the front.

"All right, everyone. Clear your tables of your books and start your meditations so we can begin the lesson. Once you feel yourself prepared, simply make a gentle ripple within the water," he said, pausing in front of Ambrose and Cindy's desk. "You might want to think about the dream we just discussed. Perhaps the water will show you more of what your vision portends," he advised softly.

Cindy glanced at Ambrose unsurely before putting her books on the floor and trying to relax, despite the fact her mind was wandering too much over her partner's dream to really concentrate. It was very unlike Professor Ravenclaw to dwell on anyone's experience without also tempering it with a healthy dose of skepticism that it might not mean anything at all. This time he seemed quite certain, and even when her mind finally drifted it seemed to be floating in an ocean of stars. She was not surprised at all when she opened them and saw that their rippling pool of water began to reflect a field of stars on their own.

The two of them peered inside of it in amazement and soon the Professor joined them, watching as Ambrose's dream came to life. Just as he had stated, the star groupings seemed to have a life of their own; each moving independent from their true positions in the sky. But this time instead of just lines connecting the stars, ghostly images of what each represented appeared transposed upon them, and Cindy saw clearly the image of one of the twins falling away and the centaur racing up to meet it. But even as it played out, she found her own eyes wandering to some of the other constellations floating through the sky, frowning at one in particular in confusion until she heard Ambrose murmuring.

"What's with the scorpion?" he said, and she turned her attention back down to it and saw that its pincerlike claws had been tied shut. But even so, the creature did its best to latch on to the falling stars, but as it lost its grip and they fell away, the scorpion fell after. Then the water calmed and the ripples faded, and the two students saw only the reflection of their ghostly teacher in the water wearing an expression even more grim than usual. Ambrose looked up at him uncertainly.

"I see you had some success with your goal. Was it more enlightening?" Professor Ravenclaw asked quietly.

"I…I'm not sure yet," Ambrose admitted, Ravenclaw simply nodded in acceptance before turning to Cindy.

"Perhaps an outside opinion might shed some light? What did you see in the water, Miss Lerring?"

"I…wasn't really paying attention to the falling stars, Professor," Cindy admitted ruefully, "although it did seem to happen like Ambrose was talking about earlier. To be honest, I was watching the caged lioness in the far corner." Ambrose gazed at her steadily. He had been so busy concentrating on the scene in front of him that he had discounted all the other constellations completely. "There was just so much…so much soul behind the eyes, so much need, I…well, I spent the entire time wondering where the cage came from and how to let her out, although I suppose that sounds silly, doesn't it?" she said uncomfortably.

"No, it doesn't sound silly to me at all," Ravenclaw reassured her with a sad smile. "There are many times in a human life where one finds himself or herself in a position they feel powerless to stop what's happening around them. Most find it a very painful reminder of their own mortality. It's also human nature to do everything one can to try and help anyone they see in a powerless position as well. And sometimes they can helpp and do help, Cynthia, but sometimes they can't. But then, as a student hoping to go into medicine, I believe you know that already, and, I think, it also explains your desire to help the caged lion too."

"The others were lost," Cindy murmured. "I was trying to save who I could." Ravenclaw smiled warmly.

"My dear, you are going to be a brilliant healer some day," Ravenclaw said with certainty. "And you, Ambrose…well, you're just brilliant, I suppose. Ten points to Hufflepuff for your stunning work, students. Why don't you both write up what you saw as your homework while I help the others with theirs? I think you both have seen enough for one afternoon." It was then that the two of them looked up to see everyone else in the room had long lost their concentration on their own bowls and were openly staring at them. Grimacing at each other sheepishly at the thought of the questions that were more than likely going to be thrown at them at dinner, the two of them then reached down for their books.

* * *

It was just as Severus was straightening his desk before dinner that Sally Scribe knocked on the door of the Headmaster's Study, peering in at Severus questioningly.

"Can I have a quick word?" she asked.

"Yes?" Severus said, straightening some papers distractedly.

"Ambrose Bailey has asked to join Advanced Astrology, and I thought I'd get your opinion on it first, since he has a heavy schedule," Sally said. Severus stared at her.

"Please tell me that this isn't a sign that the entire Order is going to end up in that course," Severus said.

"Oh, well, I really don't know about that, but if it's any consolation, Lindsay hasn't come to Pomona or myself about it yet," Sally said.

"Yet being the operative word. Might I ask the reason?"

"Professor Ravenclaw suggested that he take the course," Sally said. Severus squinted. "Apparently Ambrose had a curious dream about stars and constellations that he was asking Icarus about, which is when it came up. The boy does seem quite interested in it. Perhaps having an extra course will help keep him out of trouble?" she suggested hopefully.

"Sally, considering my daughter has already decided to add that same course to her own agenda, I find it very likely that the two of them will use every opportunity to break the ten-minute rule and go traipsing about the castle after hours on God knows what sort of escapade, using their late schedule as an excuse," Severus scowled.

"We could always threaten to kick him out of sparring or off the newspaper," she suggested.

"I notice you didn't mention choir."

"Yes, well, how many long term boy sopranos do I get?" Sally asked with a lopsided grin. Severus sighed.

"Fine, as long as Mrs. Bailey is all right with it, I won't argue. For now," Severus added.

"Yes, Professor, thank you," Sally said before slipping back out of the room. Severus stood there and brooded over his straightened desk for a moment.

"Book, please move Icarus' appointment up to the first available opportunity," Severus said, watching as the appointment book reopened to try and work it in.

"Well, that's a first." Severus glanced back to see Jennifer stepping in from behind the curtained door to his sitting room. "I thought you always went out of your way to avoid those appointments?"

"That was before he started making waves," Severus said irritably. "I don't suppose you have any students attempting to add Advanced Astrology at the last minute as well?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," Jennifer said, a little surprised he had guessed. "Laura Lupin asked to pick up the course…to help with one of her Owl Goals. I was just going to add her considering she aced her first year in it. Besides, it won't hurt her record to have a second year in it if she does decide to go into primary teaching. Why, do you object?"

"No, not really, not in her case at least," Severus said before getting up. "Lucky and Ambrose have joined as well."

"Oh, I suppose I should have expected that," Jennifer sighed. Severus glanced over at her questioningly. "Lucky seemed really troubled when she came into class this morning. Apparently she was talking to Lyra about star readings at some point last night and Lyra mentioned her own fate." Severus' expression darkened. "Should I talk to Lucky about it?"

"No…I'd rather this handled as a school affair unless she comes to us about it, Jennifer. I think I'll have Hermione talk to Lyra. She probably doesn't realize the impact that prediction of hers could have on the students around her."

"Yes, that's true, although now that she's spoken about it, I'm not so certain it can be stopped," Jennifer said.

"Stopped, no. Discouraged, yes," Severus said firmly. "She must come to understand that she has other options, Jennifer, and she isn't going to do it by telling others about it as if it were an indisputable fact."

"The trouble is that it is fact to her. She sees it as truth, while everyone around her is simply blind to it," Jennifer said. "I'm not quite sure how to shake her out of it."

"Yes, well, I'm hoping the Order of the Owl will do it for us," Severus said, brooding a moment. "Let me know if any of the others come to you about it as well. At this rate, Aurora is going to have to add a second year two class to her agenda."

"I'm sure that will go over well," Jennifer said with amusement before following him into the sitting room and shelving work for a while.


	13. Professional Discussion

Chapter Thirteen

Professional Discussion

With Severus so preoccupied with school business, it had been fairly easy for Jennifer to find time to raid the library for books, although she dutifully did most of her research in the lab with the windows open. She also made several appointments of her own, so Hermione was not a bit surprised when she found Jennifer scheduled for lunch with her later that week, walking in with books in hand.

"You do know he is hoping you'll drop this, right?" Hermione said with a slight grin.

"I'm not here researching the ring, Hermione, at least not directly," Jennifer protested, but Hermione shook her head knowingly. "Actually, right now I'm more interested in my heritage at the moment. Do you happen to recall that year when it came out I had no Merlin blood in me?"

"Yes, of course. I got fascinated and did some extensive research on the Ravenclaw line…"

"Yes, do you still have that?" Jennifer said. Hermione looked at her thoughtfully. "I think I'm missing some key books somewhere, I have some gaps in the lineage line."

"Well, I admit it was a bit tricky," Hermione said thinking back. "Since, of course you know it's a matriarchal line…Rowena had only a surviving daughter, and with her druidic heritage, her 'heir' as we think of it passed from daughter to daughter and therefore went through tons of different last names. Fortunately, the line was so direct and the history on that family is so extensive because of her association to the school that I was able to trace it."

"It was a linear family tree as well?" Jennifer said, a curious expression on her face as she felt both stunned and unsurprised as the same time.

"What do you mean as well?" Hermione asked curiously, and Jennifer opened her notebook and past it to her. Hermione stared at it a moment and then sat down. "Wow, this is weird, isn't it? I mean…most of Rowena's descendants only had a daughter…"

"Don't tell me. When they had more than one, only the daughter had children?" Jennifer sighed.

"Yes…but how could this possibly be coincidence? The odds of two family lines like this existing, let alone crossing paths like that, must be astronomical…come on. Let's head to the research library. But don't tell Severus I'm helping you. He hasn't been in the best of moods lately," Hermione said, still gazing at the notebook as they walked out of the office

"I think I know that even better than you, thank you," Jennifer said primly. "But I just didn't feel like I could leave this alone."

"No…no, I don't blame you. I swear, Jennifer! If I didn't know how implausible it was to think so…I'd say it was almost as if this whole thing was orchestrated…like those two families were intentionally kept linear," Hermione said, staring at the notebook incredulously a moment before they started down the back stairs.

"Please don't say it was fate," Jennifer said dryly.

"No, Jennifer. Fate needs an element of coincidence to operate properly. And I think you're right in that there is no way this could possibly be coincidence," Hermione said with certainty as the two of them turned towards the library.

It wasn't until Saturday morning after Severus finished the last of his Owl Goal suggestions for its new members and put the last touches on his next report to the board that he began to wonder where Jennifer was. He glanced at his watch and squinted in annoyance at it when he saw it was pointed at the library.

"That had better be something school related," Severus snarled to himself and got up, feeling a bit stiff in the legs. He hadn't even had time to practice forms lately, so absorbed as he had been in his work, although work had proved effective to keep his mind off of other things.

Deciding he was better off taking the long way down to work out the stiffness, he walked down the stairs without skipping any and wandered down the back halls, listening to the echo of the choir in the Service Hall, where from Saturday evenings to Sunday evenings served as a nondenominational place to worship for students inclined to do so.

They were practicing the school song again; its unique melody permeating Severus' mind as he found he could pick out certain voices he knew out of the harmony. None were as clear or crisp as Ambrose Bailey's, ringing out an octave above everyone but a couple of the girls. His thoughts then wandered to the first time the song had sounded like anything except noise to him; for it was the night he had destroyed Ciardoth…the night that he probably should have died.

Suddenly a note jumped out of tune and Severus cringed in pain, stopping short for a moment as a grating range of tones that sounded nothing like music met his ears. But just as quickly as the change came, it soon worked its way back into harmony once more. Shaking his head to clear it and wondering a bit on what had just happened, Severus attempted to shrug it off and continued on his way to the research library.

* * *

"Here it is. This has the generations you were missing, Jennifer," Hermione said, setting an open book in front of her and taking the seat next to her as Jennifer filled in the missing lines. "I hope you don't mind, but while I was in my office I asked Demura to send Icarus down. Maybe he has some insight on all this considering we don't know how far back this goes. Our books only begin with Rowena, after all."

"I never thought of that," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should be talking to Janus about it too, now that you mention it."

"Did someone say my name?" Janus' voice said and he faded into view across from the research table. Icarus then appeared beside him, glancing between them.

"I hope you don't mind. We were playing chess when I got your message, and considering your question of lineage I had a feeling you might want the both of us," Icarus said.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Hermione agreed. "Because we've been noticing just how linear your families are."

"Linear?" Janus asked curiously, while Icarus simply nodded.

"You mean the Ravenclaw line, I assume. Yes, I knew about that, and to be perfectly honest, I'm quite grateful for it. I think I would have been much more insane during my life if it hadn't been. I always remembered that line very well, you see," Icarus explained. "I can't imagine what it would have been like to see through several eyes at once for each time period."

"So was Slytherin's family tree linear as well?" Hermione asked with interest.

"Oh, heavens no, not remotely. But…I never felt the same connection to that line as I did to the other…it was as if the memories so deep into the past or early in one's childhood that it took special effort to bring them out," Icarus explained quietly. "As it so happens, Slytherin's descendants had very little to do with the school for quite a number of generations. My father, however, was interested more in his influences in the school over time, so had me focus in the far future to see when his descendants would return and take up his calling. The line itself at that point had waned, as you know, but I would not be surprised if a great deal of people still have a bit of Slytherin blood in them throughout the continent."

"So this has something to do with Morlan leaving?" Hermione asked.

"Morlan?" Jennifer repeated, gazing at her thoughtfully.

"Salazar's legitimate son," Hermione explained. Icarus nodded, glancing at Janus who simply looked somber.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid his departure was my doing, actually," Icarus admitted reluctantly. "If you must know, I sent him to the Hungary on a wild goose chase looking for an ancient temple of supposed magic significance because I foresaw him dying in a Maygar raid," he said. Jennifer and Hermione stared at him. "I only told him I predicted that he would go on this quest, and I rather left out the dying part. I thought perhaps I could hurry along his death a bit to keep him from carrying on the line. I only found out after I was dead that he fathered two sons in the process of his travels. It was another case of me trying to prevent a future that was bound to happen anyhow. Now who does that remind me of…" Janus gave him a dirty look.

"Now don't start in on Severus, again, Ick, you've gotten him agitated enough as it is," Jennifer scolded him. Icarus stared at her with open surprise.

"Are you seriously trying to blame me for Severus' growing discontent? Or are you simply trying to find someone to blame for it in general?" he asked her.

"Please, please!" Hermione said, quickly putting a hand on Jennifer' arm and staring hard at Icarus as the two of them began to glare at each other. "We really don't need to go into this now, and I didn't ask you down here just to be at each other's throats," she said firmly, but she hadn't missed the stark change in Jennifer's demeanor towards the now wary ghost. "Icarus, what can you tell us about your mother's ancestors? Was it linear as well?"

"I honestly don't know, but I doubt it," Icarus said, deciding that simply ignoring Jennifer would be best. "As you may have guessed, my mother was half fae…her mother was the fae, of course, which is why the blood seems strongest in the female line…her father was a druid that crossed paths with her at some point. Ravenclaw was his priesthood name; he abandoned all other names when he took up his order from what mother told me, but he had died decades before, being magicless and all."

"What?" Jennifer blinked.

"That's probably why you can't find any references going backwards from that point, you know, especially at that point in time. As far as anyone was concerned, she founded the family, and that is that," Icarus explained.

"Is that…" Jennifer paused a moment, but shook it off. "Is that also why you're considered the founder of our family, Janus?"

"Do you seriously think that Slytherin would take on a mixed blood apprentice?" Janus retorted indignantly. Jennifer blushed, muttering a soft apology. "I changed my name after I left Ireland for Scotland. Many fellow wizards had the opinion that Mac Conchruachan was too difficult to pronounce," Janus grunted. "Fortunately, my first name is Latin and didn't have to change that. I am the first Craw by my own choice. But this is the first I've heard of this linear business of yours. I had several brothers and sisters who stayed behind when I was chosen as an apprentice."

"Any idea what might have happened to them?" Hermione asked.

"No, we quickly lost contact. Back in those days, an apprentice went through extensive solitary training. Other than any other apprentices that may be about, you only have contact with whatever wizard you had been apprenticed to," he explained, brooding as he thought over his past. Hermione nodded in understanding, glancing over at Jennifer.

"I suppose that's it, then. There's no way we can possibly prove one way or another if either family before that point is linear. I just hope the answer as to why isn't before that point, because then we probably won't ever have any way of knowing the truth," Hermione said.

"I do have another question, though," Jennifer said, looking over the two family trees they had charted. Janus peered over curiously, glancing over the names. "Who are the parents of all of these wizards who married into the Ravenclaw line, Hermione? I have the names of all of them in the Craw line."

"I never saw anything listing them. Perhaps they're listed in the Archives," she suggested. Jennifer grimaced at that, knowing Severus wouldn't be too keen on her going back to look.

"I think there's a more obvious answer to that, and one that I happen to remember well," Icarus said. "Their parents aren't marked because the majority of those listed are either Muggles or Muggleborn. My family line preferred new bloods for some reason," he mused. Jennifer stared at him a moment before pushing her books away.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore," Jennifer decided somberly, attempting to ignore the fact that Hermione looked even more intrigued than ever. Janus gazed at her sympathetically.

"Don't worry, Jennifer. Even if your mother's line wasn't the best, there's always Maurice," Janus said as if to reassure himself as much as reassure his descendant. Jennifer gave him a dirty look.

"Maybe this does explain some things, though. Maybe these lines aren't quite so linear as we think. I mean, the records of the time…and probably even the Ministry come to think of it…might write down the names of all the children of wizard parents, but if they weren't themselves magic too they wouldn't have reason to continue it any more. Maybe all we're seeing here is lines dead ending because they turned Muggle," Hermione said, getting an immediate outburst of protest from both Janus and Jennifer in response.

"That's the most ridiculous conjecture I have ever heard of! There is absolutely no way at all that is even remotely possible with the Craw line!" Jennifer snapped angrily.

"Absolutely! I completely concur!" Janus snapped as well, while Hermione just gazed back at them expressionlessly.

"I admit considering the background, it might explain some of the Ravenclaw line, it's true. But I have done a lot of research on my family history, and between what I've found in books and oral history alike, I can tell you that the majority of my relatives were simply executed for their crimes against humanity!" Jennifer finished.

"Yes, and quite honorably executed too!" Janus added angrily. Hermione and Icarus both rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"In fact, I happen to know only one incident up to my father where anyone married someone not of pureblood, and in that case they were simply sterilized to keep the line from continuing," Jennifer said, Hermione's dull expression immediately turning one to interest again. "Who knows? Perhaps it happened on more than one occasion. Maybe that's what happened to the old Clemmons line as well."

"Perhaps, it is at least a possibility," Hermione agreed thoughtfully. "I wonder when those sorts of potions were invented?"

"Easy enough to find out. But some form of them must be at least six hundred years ago, considering that's when Andrew was born," Jennifer said, pointing at Ambrosia's line.

"Even so, Jennifer, I don't think it's at all likely to rule out the whole Muggle factor just yet. This may be all a matter of genetics," Hermione said firmly.

"Obviously everything having to do with these two lines are," Jennifer retorted, pulling her books back over. "But one thing is certain. I am going to find out one way or another what is going on with this if I have to research every name and individual in both family trees to do so. I have to know why these lines are like this, Hermione. I know this is somehow tied to what's going on right now, I can feel it, and I won't be satisfied until I've figured it out."

Suddenly both ghosts abruptly faded out of view, and Jennifer looked over to see Hermione's face as white as sheet. Jennifer didn't have to study her face at all to realize what must have happened.

"He's standing right behind me, isn't he?" Jennifer asked bluntly. Hermione grimaced in response, while Severus plucked the notebook out of Jennifer's hand.

"Getting some use out of the research library, are we?" Severus said crisply, flipping through the pages. "Yes, very interesting. But for some reason I don't think any of this has anything to do with either of your expertise in Potions, Items or Charms."

"We happen to be studying school history," Hermione said expressionlessly.

"Ravenclaw history," Jennifer agreed.

"Then explain why your research from the Archives is also here?" Severus said, walking around to face them but quite unsurprised when Jennifer refused to meet his gaze, despite the fact that Hermione seemed more than willing to do so. "Did I or did I not make it clear that now that the ring has been further safe guarded that I wanted this matter to be dropped?"

"I'm simply looking into some family history, Severus. That hardly has anything to do with the ring, does it?" Jennifer said.

"Curious, considering that as I was walking up I heard you comment that you did think it had something to do with it, although damned if I know how," Severus snapped.

"Well, perhaps if you looked at it yourself, Severus, you might agree with her that there is something strange about it…" Hermione began.

"What I agree or disagree with is entirely beside the point at the moment. This research library was built for the purpose of helping staff with educational research for the school's benefit, not for the two of you to abuse by using it for your own personal agendas! From now on you'll have to do your plotting elsewhere, because I intend to remove you both from the system until you stop using school privileges to snoop about in things that aren't our business!" Severus snarled. Jennifer stood up quickly, her eyes filled with fire matching his own.

"My family history is my business, Severus!"

"It isn't the school's business!"

"If my family history is tied at all to the ring, it is the school's business, since the ring is in the school!"

"Did you or did you not find a way to contain it?"

"Yes, Severus, but for how long? We're going to have to get rid of it someday…"

"Some day isn't right now, Jennifer! Can't you leave anything alone, even for a little while? We wouldn't even be in the position to worry about the stupid thing if you hadn't decided to go grave robbing in the first place!"

"That's not fair! I couldn't have left something that dangerous just lying around like that, Severus, and you know it!"

"Of course not! You have this insane desire to meddle in absolutely everything, and I for one am getting quite tired of it! Why don't you put this stupid quest thing out of your head and concentrate on doing your job for a change? Or have you been working here so long that the tedium is what has got you going off on these escapades?" Severus challenged. Jennifer blinked at him incredulously.

"I'm not the one who has a problem with my job, Severus," Jennifer said coldly. "I love my job."

"Then perhaps you should start concentrating on keeping it!" he snapped. "If you keep going the way you're going, you will soon find yourself having all the time you like putting your nose where it doesn't belong, until the inevitable happens and you end up getting yourself killed. It'd serve you right after all the chances you've taken over the years doing getting involved in thing that aren't your business!"

Jennifer gave Severus a long hard stare, but she couldn't read anything at all from him in that moment except for his obvious anger. Coolly she snatched her notebook out of his hand and grabbed the rest of her books. She then went to the Potions and Dark Arts sections of the library to pull out the books she had lent to the library before finally making her way out of the room. Severus then turned to Hermione, who had sat in her chair with a stony expression during the entire exchange.

"After you," he said briskly, waiting for her to pick up her own books. Hermione then walked out without a word. Shaking his head in anger and frustration, Severus stayed only long enough to change the requirements on the door before going back up to his study to see if he could find something else to do.

Hermione had paused in the hall and watched him storm upstairs, very glad she was getting ready to head home for the weekend knowing that just being able to hold Rich for a while and talk with Ron about it would go a long way to calm her down. But who would Jennifer go to, Hermione wondered with a frown as she walked to her office. She found herself growing more worried by the minute when she couldn't come up with a ready answer to that question.


	14. Seeking Advice

Chapter Fourteen

Seeking Advice

Jennifer closed herself off in her office, changed her password, and cried until no tears came and numbness set in, finally getting up with reluctance to get herself a bowl of porridge and a hot soothing blend of tea. She stared at her reflection in the dark liquid, lost in the thoughts she read swimming in her mind, the tea having gone quite cold in the meantime. Perhaps Severus was beginning to cool off too, she thought, staring uncertainly at the pale pink color in her ring with a frown. There had been so little color in it lately…perhaps it was reacting to the other ring? She pulled out the chain around the neck, staring at the hinged box at the end fastened with a tiny golden padlock. No, she was quite sure it wasn't, she decided at last. It was something else entirely. But the possibilities of what it might be terrified her, and she hurriedly pushed her fears aside and tried to think of something else.

Just then there was a knock on the door and Jennifer quickly tucked the box away, glancing at the mirror long enough to see her state and went over to the lab and quickly washed her face before braving the door. She smiled unsurely when she saw who it was, despite the fact that she was quite glad to see him.

"Harry! Something wrong?" Jennifer asked, but he simply smiled warmly at her and stepped in so she could close the door.

"No, not really, just thought I'd drop by," he said casually, looking around. "This really is a fantastic new office you have. Nice couch, too."

"Thank you, feel free. I don't suppose you want any porridge or tea?" Jennifer chuckled, pouring out her cup.

"Sure, why not? It's been awhile…well, on the porridge, obviously, not the tea," he said with a chuckle. Jennifer smiled wanly, grabbing a pair of fresh cups.

"You know, I'd ask you what you're doing here, but I suppose Hermione is the real reason, no matter what other you might give," Jennifer said, handing him a cup before grabbing one of the bowls she kept on the mantle and ladled some up.

"Didn't even really need to turn around for that one either, did you," Harry said with a grin, waiting until Jennifer fell into a chair beside him with her own tea before taking a sip of his own. He watched her a moment, but she was busy staring at the bubbles that randomly popped on the surface of the Cauldron. "It's been a bit, though, hasn't it? Since he's had one of these?" Jennifer's eyes turned back to him in surprise. "It's come up," he admitted. Jennifer sighed.

"It's happened on and off since that mess with the avatars," Jennifer murmured with a shrug. "Although honestly he's been disgruntled even longer than that as far as work is concerned, as brilliant as he is at it."

"Yes, I know about that too," Harry said with a solemn nod. Jennifer frowned at him, but he just shrugged. "Between Ginny and Hermione, I don't miss much that happens in the school. And between Ron and Aurelius I don't miss all that much that happens outside of it either."

"No, I suppose not," Jennifer said with a wan smile, shaking her head.

"Rel hasn't mentioned much about this strain on you though…of course he's been wrapped up in work lately."

"That and I've tried to keep the children from becoming too involved in this," Jennifer admitted softly.

"Really? I'm not sure that's all that good of an idea," Harry said. "For your sake if not for his, I really think you ought to talk to them."

"Harry, what Severus wants most of right now is space, and if I tell them, they're sure to be bothering him, and it'll only make things worse," Jennifer sighed, gazing at the ring which had finally gone from pale pink to pale blue. "Lately he's been cutting me off as well…putting up mental walls such as he had when we first met…I can barely read him any more unless he is intentionally directing his thoughts at me," she murmured, feeling depressed.

"I can understand that, especially if what you say is true and he's trying to make a bit of space for himself," Harry said, Jennifer gazing at him with a frown. "Well, to be fair, Jennifer, you do sometimes have a tendency to speak for others before they have a chance to speak for themselves, not to mention say things out loud that others might not be so keen on you vocalizing, and he's had thirty years of you in his head. Considering how private Severus is, I'm surprised it took him this long…" he said then hesitated when he saw her frown deepening. "Not that I'm excusing him at all for what happened today, from what Hermione told me he went off the deep end again. All I'm saying is don't jump to conclusions over a little Occlumency. As long as the two of you have been married, surely you don't really need Truth Seeking to pick up on his signals, do you?"

"I…guess I'm not so sure," Jennifer murmured, suddenly troubled by it. "I suppose you do have a point. I just wish there was some way I could help him through this."

"Well, as I heard you just say a moment ago…come to think of it, as I've heard you say before when he's had one of these outbursts of his…what he needs right now is some space. You should probably try taking some of your own advice for a change. You can be supportive from a distance, you know," Harry said.

"I have no idea how," Jennifer sighed. Harry shrugged.

"Guess you're just going to have to trust yourself then," Harry said, getting up. "Oh, and don't wait for your friends and family to knock on your door when you need their support. Considering how many people you've supported over the years and how many favors you're owed, you have every right to cash in those overdue payments when you need them."

"I've never expected any sort of payback for anything I've done, Harry, any more than you have," Jennifer said firmly.

"Yes, but sometimes maybe we should," Harry said, walking to the door. "I'll be home all weekend if you need me…after that, just give Ginny a holler, for whatever reason."

"Thanks, Harry," Jennifer said sincerely.

"Anytime," Harry smiled warmly at her before leaving.

Jennifer closed the door behind him and stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Finally she went to her desk and wrote a quick note. Taking the door out to the parapet, she cut across to the other door and up to the Owlery, finding a willing Owl to take her note to the Craw farmhouse. Then she slipped back down the stairs, hooking the door open before dutifully sitting down to her paperwork, determined to get so far ahead that even Severus wouldn't have reason to complain about it. She sighed at the thought but forced herself to concentrate, not looking up again until a raven flapped in.

"Plum is a prude! Plum is a prude!" the raven declared.

"She certainly is," Jennifer agreed, taking the note from him and glancing at it. Sighing softly at its contents, Jennifer thought it over then wrote a short reply before giving it back to the raven. "Back to your master, Hastings."

"Break the law! Fear the Craw!" the raven declared before it flew off. Jennifer rolled her eyes and shook her head with a sigh before gathering up her work, wondering if it was safe to go upstairs yet. Taking a moment to put away the rare potion books she had grabbed from the library, pausing to glance at one of the entries with a frown before putting it back in place. Making another note in her book, she glanced over it one last time before putting it in her Puzzlebox, resetting the lock to a different combination before grabbing it to take upstairs with her.

Deftly she slipped into her sitting room, setting her box down on her desk before going over to the perch to give Ratfly some well-deserved attention, changing out his food and water and cutting him an orange while the bat watched with interest dangling from one of her arms. But even when she finished, Ratfly seemed to be content to stay where he was and sleep so she sighed softly, scratching his head a moment and deciding to humor him, grabbing a dark arts magazine she had yet to finish while bracing her arm on the back of a chair so it would strain her arm so much to carry him.

A few minutes later there was a brisk knock on the bedroom door that she promptly ignored, pretending to concentrate on her reading when he walked in.

"Sorry, left something in here," he muttered, heading for the bookshelf pointedly. Jennifer knew full well he was simply using it as an excuse to check up on her and see what she was doing, so she simply muttered a spell to turn the page and then pretended he didn't exist. "Need anything while I'm up? I see you have your hands full."

"No, but I would like to get the Headmaster's permission to visit my father for lunch on Monday," Jennifer said crisply. Severus gazed at her warily.

"I don't see how you would need a Headmaster's permission for that," he said.

"Well, I would have to go to the Ministry, after all. I wouldn't want to run the risk of getting fired," Jennifer said glibly, turning another page.

"Oh, is that it, is it? Jennifer, you know I don't care to bring up school business in our private rooms, so if it's all the same, I'd rather not get into all of that again…"

"And if I decided to put this down and start researching something you don't approve of in here, what would you threaten me with next? Or should I just start packing now to save you the trouble of coming up with an idea?" Jennifer retorted.

"Fine! Have it your way! I have better things to do than play your games!" Severus snapped, storming back out of the room without even the pretense of taking a book with him as he slammed the door. Ratfly protested by flapping his wings a bit before wrapping them around himself again.

"Well, I do admit that was a bit harsh," Jennifer murmured to the bat. "But what am I to do? I can't keep letting him get away with these outbursts and then trying to pretend nothing happened afterwards like that. I do have the right to some feelings in all of this, don't I?" she asked, Ratfly simply yawning at her in response. Sighing, Jennifer put the ancient bat back on his perch, suddenly feeling as exhausted as her bat looked, pulling out her overly-used spare comforter and settling in on the couch.

On Sunday evening, the first copy of _the Veritable Wizard _made it out into waiting hands of students and to alumni through the Owl Post. By breakfast, practically everyone was chatting about the papers newest addition.

"An advice column?" Reggie said with disgust when he saw it. "After all my aunt went through to try and get this paper somewhat respectable, even to the public outside of the school, we went and backslid into having an advice column?"

"'Ey, it's not so bad. Even the Times has an advice column, it's not like it's not done in normal papers too," Lucky shrugged.

"Well, I think it's hilarious," Connie said. "Here, listen to this one. 'Dear Madame Mirth: I have been attempting to get the attention of a girl in one of my classes, but every time I get a chance to talk to her, she puts up a wall. What should I do to get through to her? Signed, an Unfortunate Second,'" she read. Lucky's jaw dropped and then she turned around and glared viciously at the Ravenclaw table. "No, no, wait for it," Connie said, coaxing her back around. "'Dear Unfortunate Second: Try a hammer and a chisel. Madame Mirth.'" Reggie snickered.

"Just who is this Madame Mirth, anyhow?" Delia wanted to know at the Hufflepuff table.

"Nobody knows. Nobody on the newspaper will say," Lindsay said. "In fact, I can't even get Laura to tell me!"

"What about you, Ambrose? Do you know who it is?"

"Of course, we all do. We all even put in advice suggestions on what to use this first edition, since we didn't have any readers putting them in yet," Ambrose said, eagerly looking at the paper. "But we all swore not to tell. I'm not even sure if Professor Weasley even knows. Hey, look! Here's my letter! Want to hear it?" he asked proudly, and the other Hufflepuff around him coaxed him to read it while others grabbed their own copies to try and figure out which one it was. "'Dear Madame Mirth: I like my school and classmates, but I am tired of being the smallest kid in the class. How do you suggest I make up for my shortcomings? Signed, Young and Restless.'" Several of them laughed.

"Very clever," Winnie told him with a grin. "What did she say in response?"

"'Dear Young and Restless. Try stilts,'" Delia read in disbelief. Everyone around laughed. "That's not so clever!"

"I think it's hilarious," Lindsay said with a grin. "Maybe I'll write my own letter to Madame Mirth."

"Me too!" Winnie said, while Delia simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Did you see that last one?" Pimra asked Dale at the Ravenclaw table. He was still chuckling and shaking his head at the 'hammer and chisel' answer. "I think it's my favorite of the three."

"Let's see here…'Dear Madame Mirth: I really like my classes and have no trouble doing homework, but every time I try to study for a test, I end up falling asleep on my books. What should I do? Signed, Stressed on Tests,'" Dale read while Laura peered over his shoulder with a grin. "Dear Stressed. Learn Osmosis. Madame Mirth."

"Osmosis?" Jessica Bishop asked.

"Magic talent of absorbing book knowledge while asleep," Dale grinned.

"Oh, I could use that," Jessica grinned, chuckling along with everyone else.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I rather like the levity in our new advice column. I hope there's enough interest for us to keep it up," Laura said, turning back to her plate.

"What do you need for that?" Bobby asked.

"What else? Letters of course!" Laura explained. "There's a box in the newsroom now so that students can put their letters in."

"In that case, maybe I'll throw one in just for fun then," he said, winking at Dale.

"Well, don't be mad if it doesn't get in, I think Thames said he's only going to allow enough room for two or three a week, depending on the size."

"Oh don't worry, it'll get in," Bobby said wickedly, and Dale simply grinned at him and shook his head, knowing whatever ploy that Bobby had in mind to find out who the Madame really was wasn't going to work.

Jennifer sighed with agitation, ending up having to take more than one copy of the dratted newspaper away before she had gotten to lunchtime, making a note to herself to complain to Hermione and ask they be released on Fridays from now on. But she knew she didn't really have time to deal with that now…casual or not, she knew perfectly well that the last thing she wanted to do was to keep her father waiting for anything, even when it came to a lunch date. In fact, she was in such a hurry she nearly forgot her Puzzlebox, grabbing it only at the last minute before rushing out of the castle so she could Apparate to the reception hall of the Ministry.

"What time is it here, Penny?" Jennifer asked as she hurried by, Penelope glancing at her watch skeptically.

"You've got a minute and a half," she warned, and Jennifer cursed under her breath and took off running down the hall. At first the people she passed looked at her in surprise or alarm, but the closer she got to the Enforcer's office, the more people ignore it, or even rooting her on with even a shout of 'forty seconds!' and even later a cry of 'fifteen seconds!' as she dove around the corner, sliding in front of the door and knocking right on the hour as several law enforcement officers hanging outside of it broke into applause.

The door popped open, and Thomas looked out to see his flustered daughter, but as he flicked his eyes at the crowd they quickly dispersed in every direction they could to get out of his sight. Muttering under his breath, Thomas Craw stepped back inside and Jennifer quickly followed behind, futilely attempting to stifle a grin as she glanced up at the clock on the wall and realized she had indeed arrived just as the second hand reached twelve; and suddenly began to highly suspect that every officer in Thomas' Ministry as well as a majority without probably set their clocks and watches by the one over his desk.

"So, Leaky Cauldron, Pannage, Cafeteria, or sandwiches here?" he asked.

"Sandwiches here is fine," Jennifer said quickly. Thomas grunted.

"I should have known better than to give you a choice. Sorry I couldn't meet you yesterday, Jen-girl, but it was my week to visit Earsinge," Thomas explained. "He's hoping to be up for parole soon, so has been asking my advice on things. I assume Alex isn't going to object?"

"I very highly doubt it," Jennifer reassured him. Thomas nodded curtly in response, uncovering the tray completely unsurprised to see that half of it was filled with pumpkin butter sandwiches.

"Yes, well, I admit I may have anticipated your choice in locations," he said when she grinned at him and picked one off the tray. "After all, I hardly expect this is a social visit. Come to think of it, you used to visit me more often when I was in Azkaban than you do since I've been out. Other than that fainting spell which was entirely incidental, I don't think I've seen you since Alicia's wedding."

"I've…well, I've been busy," Jennifer said uncomfortably. "Besides, I know your time is limited now, Dad, and you have a family now…"

"You are part of that family too, last I checked…although it has been awhile, maybe I ought to check again to be certain. There may be a statute of limitations on that…"

"Yes, that's very funny, Dad," Jennifer said dryly, pausing to pull her Puzzlebox from her cloak. "I brought you my research on our family tree I was working on to see what you thought of it and if you can fill in blanks on some of the causes of deaths or what happened to some of the family offshoots that died out and stuff."

"Ah yes," Thomas mused as he accepted a folder with a notebook in it, thumbing through it before gazing at her again thoughtfully. "You know, you could have just Owled this."

"Well, make up your mind, Dad. First you complain that you don't see me enough, and now you're complaining because of my reason for seeing you?" Jennifer snapped in annoyance.

"I can't complain about your reason when I haven't figured out what it is, yet," Thomas said bluntly. "But considering neither of us have more than an hour to spare for lunch and your obvious reluctance to breach whatever subject is on your mind tells me that whatever it is plaguing you is more than likely serious enough to take up the majority of that hour, I expect you should just say what is on your mind and stop wasting both our times." Jennifer turned bright red, but didn't seem inclined to speak. Thomas sighed, propping his head up with his hand. "Or there's always the option of me just throwing you in the Tower to stew until you get over whatever Craw stubborn streak you're on, then we can just approach this when you're ready. Oh, don't worry, I'll Owl Severus and let him know you won't be in."

"You're not making this easy, Dad," Jennifer complained.

"I'm a Craw," he shrugged. "At least have another sandwich first. I hear the food over there is terrible these days."

"I just wanted to ask you a simple question, if not a bit personal, and you have to go and pull your interrogation bit on me that does nothing but remind me of exactly why it is I don't like to visit often," Jennifer said angrily. Thomas drummed his fingers against the desk a moment before he glanced at a pair of cuffs hanging from a nail on the wall thoughtfully. Jennifer sighed. "Look, I just wanted to know what it was like for you to be married to my mother." Thomas' fingers stopped drumming and he stared at his daughter for a long time.

"I thought you said it was a simple question," Thomas said flatly. Jennifer shrugged, and Thomas leaned back in his chair for a moment lost in thought before deciding to get up and make himself a drink. "I don't suppose you want one?" Jennifer shook her head.

"I have a demo next hour."

"Suit yourself, although I doubt one would do you much harm," Thomas said, downing the Highland Firebreather down before taking his seat again. "What it was like being married to your mother," he repeated again, as much in disbelief at the question as actually thinking about it. "I suppose in some ways it was rather like being married to my conscience," he mused, gazing over at the instant glimmer in his daughter's eyes as he said it. "Not that that wasn't sometimes problematic, of course. There are times when your conscience is the last thing you want to hear," he chuckled. "There are even times when it's the last thing you _need_ to hear as well, since it can get away from solid reasoning." Jennifer frowned at that.

"Such as?"

"Such as the way you handled the situation with Lucius Malfoy," Thomas said bluntly, getting an immediate reaction from Jennifer. "You could have killed him cleanly in a Wizard's Duel, and because you listened to your conscience, you suffered, Severus suffered, your children suffered, I suffered, the town of Haven's Bluff suffered…hell, I'd go so far as to say even Draco suffered from that decision. And all of it was because you listened to your conscience instead of reasoning. Do you deny it?"

"No," Jennifer said quietly.

"Then I proved my point," Thomas said dryly, setting aside his glass. "That said, it was still the best decision I ever made in my life, marrying her, despite how our parents felt about it at the time, despite what messes my anger at them might have driven me to…" he paused, shaking his head. "You know, we may not have ever had fancy rings or death kisses to prove it like you did, but there has never been any doubt in my mind that Alice and I were meant to be together. I knew it from the moment I laid my eyes on her…and the moment she first spoke…telling me point blank that if I put my hand anywhere near where I was thinking of putting it, she would turn it to stone and push me in the river." Jennifer couldn't help but chuckle at that. "There really is nothing like a Truth Seeking woman to put an irascibly overbearing man in his place."

"Did you ever get tired of it?" Jennifer asked after a moment, Thomas gazing at her thoughtfully. "Of her being able to read you like that."

"Oh, that. No…I…well, without boring you with the details, some of which you know already, I had a lot of trouble communicating with the world in general in those days. If anything, I rather came to depend upon it, and even took it for granted without realizing it at the time," he mused quietly. "Of course, we had only been married twenty years when I 'died' to try and protect the two of you…it isn't as if we really had time to really tire of each other. In fact, with all the struggles we had to deal with on a day to day basis just to keep things hidden and yet provide you with safe places to go to school at and everything else, those years rather flew by for me, nor did I have time to reflect on any of it until Azkaban. Not that I had felt like given up on my life at that point, or even remotely regretted any of the decisions I had made leading up to my being put in prison. I didn't start questioning myself on any of those until I was out, believe it or not. And then, there I was, faced with the prospect of having to spend my entire dreary life without magic and no hope for anything better in my future, no self respect, and no hope of ever going anywhere without a microscope on me and an Auror to hold my hand across every street. So I dusted off an old ambition, thinking perhaps setting that ghost of a gold mine would help ease what I was going through…and for a little while it helped, until I realized I was still a condemned man with no way out of my situation, cursing the past and dreading every day, wondering where my life went and how I lost sight of it in the first place. It was a rotten time, and I'm sure I was rotten to be around, but obviously I did get over it, and I think…I think I'm a better man because of it. Gave me a new sense of perspective." Jennifer nodded slowly.

"Just how did you get over it then, Dad?" Jennifer asked after a moment.

"That's no wonder. I got remarried," Thomas said, watching as the color drained completely away from his daughter's face.

"Ah. Yes, of course," Jennifer said, glancing at the pumpkin butter sandwich in her hand as if wondering when it had gotten there, setting it back down again as she suddenly lost her appetite. "Well, I should probably be getting ready for my next class. I'll get back to you on that ancestry project," she said getting up, but he raised a hand to her and started digging in his desk.

"One moment, Jen-girl, I have something for you before you go," Thomas said, pulling out a handkerchief and folding something in it before handing it out to her. "Here."

"What is it?" Jennifer frowned.

"Spare key to the back door of the house," he said, Jennifer staring at him unsurely. "Don't worry, you're a Craw, none of the traps are likely to go off on you. It also has the benefit of a stair right inside the door leading straight up to two spare bedrooms if you should need one, no questions asked."

"I don't need a key, Dad…"

"Jen-girl, despite what you professed your 'simple' question was, if there is one thing I know for a fact, it's that we didn't spend our lunch hour together talking about me," Thomas said bluntly. "I also know you well enough to know that there are some things you are no more willing to go to your children about than I am mine. And although you may not feel you need it now, I personally would feel much better if I knew you had a backup plan just in case you do need somewhere to go. Now take the damn key," he said, enunciating each word. Jennifer exhaled slowly, not quite trusting herself to speak as she reached out of it, looking up at him when he didn't let it go right away. "You're a Craw first and foremost, Jen-girl. Don't ever forget that," he added firmly before finally letting go.

Jennifer nodded, still not wanting to speak even to offer a thank you, although she knew that it also wasn't expected of her either. Instead, she just nodded again, and he nodded back in dismissal, watching as she pocketed the key and slipped out the door. Thomas leaned back in his seat again, fingers laced in thought, until finally he heard the strike of the hour and set the folder she gave him in a pile to take home and turned back to his work.


	15. Social Pursuits

Chapter Fifteen

Social Pursuits

"Look at all those feathers!" Ambrose said appreciatively when he showed up after choir that next weekend. Most of the others both old and new had already arrived and made themselves at home at their newly heightened tables and the stools that went with them, for Lyra stood at the other end of the table with intense curiosity at everything around her.

"From the color, I'd say they were mostly Ravenclaws," Dale said as he came in behind him, peering inside the case. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say Ravenclaws are the brown feathers, Slytherin the grey, Gryffindor the gold ones, and Hufflepuff the black ones, representing our secondary colors. The different sizes and types of feathers probably then represent each of us."

"Well, there will be much more grey and there once we get those other first years in here," Dirk Atchison said from where he sat by Helena, straightening his gloves thoughtfully. "When are we planning to do those interviews?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," Lindsay said, trying to get comfortable on the stool. "This is our last free weekend before we start getting into Hogsmeade trips and Quidditch season, and I'm sure Laura would rather get those study group schedules done as soon as possible."

"Anything I can do to help?" Dirk asked.

"Well, anyone who wants to go to the interviews can, of course. Ambrose and the representatives will be conducting the interviews themselves," Lindsay explained. "Personally I think you probably ought to work on whatever Owl Goals you have for now."

"Are ours even ready yet?" Dirk wondered, going over to the boxes. "Oh good, here's mine."

"Do I have one?" Bobby asked.

"What about me?" Lyra asked excitedly, and Dirk cordially handed the others over so they could look at them.

"We also need to start thinking about what our goal as a group is too, you know," Ambrose said.

"Shouldn't we wait until we've filled our numbers out first?" Helena asked, Dirk nodding to her in approval.

"For the vote, yes, but you can still offer suggestions," Ambrose said.

"I have one," Laura said excitedly, glancing at Pimra. "And I think if we do it right, we might actually have some personal goals met at the same time."

"Sounds great! What is it?" Ambrose asked.

"Pimra and I were thinking we could start and sponsor a pen pal service for other students at Hogwarts, pairing them up with people in other schools. Pimra's already volunteered to organize it if we decide to do it," she added, glancing over at the girl.

"I need it for my one goal anyway," Pimra shrugged. "And I'm pretty sure I can ask Professor Craw for help getting other schools to join, because I know she's mentioned before she has a lot of teacher friends in some of the other schools."

"I think it sounds like a splendid idea. Let's wait a week to get all the new people in and in case anyone else has any ideas, then we'll vote for it Sunday morning before you guys head to Quidditch practice. Anyone else have anything to bring up?"

"No, unless anyone needs help on any of their goals?" Laura asked.

"Perhaps someone could explain to me what these mean?" Lyra asked, frowning at hers. "Like this one: Teach what you know, learn what you don't know. What does that mean? How can I teach anything when I just started?"

"That's easy," Lucky said. Everyone turned and looked at her in surprise. She had been so quiet lately that they had nearly forgotten she was even sitting there. "It's like what we've been doin' already, Lyra. We teach you stuff like cursive writing, and you help me try to make some sense out of my Astrology homework."

"Come to think of it, I could use help in that class too," Laura agreed.

"Me too," Ambrose added.

"Do you have your schedule, Lyra? I'll try to work out a time where we can all get together and study," Laura offered, and Lyra began to dig in her satchel.

"What's yours like, Dirk?" Connie asked from the other side of her sister.

"Nothing I can't handle on my own I think," he said noncommittally. "Although I may join you on that pen pal project of yours if we decide to go with that."

"Great!" Pimra said with a smile. "And don't worry. You don't have to tell anyone any of the goals if you don't want to. In fact, we still can't get out of Lucky what hers are."

"There's no point, I'm not doing any of them," Lucky shrugged. "Two are stupid, and the other one don't make any sense."

"Then at least tell us what the one you don't understand is, Lucky, perhaps we can help you figure it out," Ambrose coaxed her. Lucky sighed and got out a wadded ball of paper out of her pocket, attempting to straighten it enough she could read one of the goals off of it.

"'Make a friend out of the staff member you see the least,'" Lucky read. Ambrose snapped his fingers.

"I know! Professor Andrew!" Ambrose said.

"Gimme a break. He's my brother, I have to put up with him all the time," Lucky sighed at him.

"Well yes, but maybe it meant…ow!"

Lindsay jabbed Ambrose in the side with her elbow and gave him a dirty look.

"It could mean old Professor Ravenclaw," Bobby ventured. "Considering he's a ghost, and he does walk around invisible all the time."

"Oh come now, I think it's much more obvious than that, don't you?" Dirk said, rolling his eyes. "What staff member would a Gryffindor…who is so bad on a broom it got her kicked out of basic flying, I may remind you…see the least?" Lucky flipped him off, but Dirk conveniently missed it.

"You're right, Dirk, it is obvious. It must be talking about Madame Brittle," Helena agreed. An odd look came across Dale Chance's face when her name was mentioned.

"They're right," he said, his voice sounding a little strange. "I am positive that is exactly who that refers to. Perhaps you should actually try and do that one, Lucky."

"What?" Lucky said, grimacing at it a moment before wadding it back up and shaking her head. "If you guys are right and that is who it's talkin' about, that one is stupid too! What would I have to talk to her about? It's like you said, we ain't got nuthin' in common. Why would I wanna talk to her for?"

"I have a better question. Why would anyone even want that as one of your goals?" Connie asked. But as the others thought about it and talked it over, nobody had a single clue as to why. None of them seemed to notice that Dale had gotten unusually quiet, making up his mind that he was going to find out, even if Lucky wasn't going to.

* * *

Jennifer sighed as she finally made it up the last stair, not really wanting to go in but not really having much of a choice. One thing was certain; it had been a very long week. Neither she nor Severus wanted to really deal with going anywhere near the bedroom, sleeping in their sitting rooms instead and only listening for each other to make it safely to the bathroom without disturbing the other. Outside the rooms, they had at least gotten back into their professional routines… quite ironic, Jennifer thought dryly to herself… considering it was a professional discussion that had started this whole mess to begin with. No… no it really had been more personal than that…a t least the attack on her research had been, even though she couldn't help but to admit he did have the right to restrict them from the back room for misusing it. It was the fact he used it simply as an excuse to try and keep her from 'getting involved' again was what still made her blood boil any time she thought of it, despite her other resolutions about not getting angry at him for attempting to hide his thoughts from her any longer.

As she stepped in the Headmaster's Study, however, his thoughts were more open than usual despite his deadpan stare, apparently searching for some way to patch up the rift that had come between them.

"And just what have you been up to all morning?" he asked.

"School business, what else?" Jennifer snapped, his thoughts quickly clouding out of her view again. "I went to London to make some final arrangements with Dale's parents. Apparently a couple of guys in their touring band weren't the sort they felt comfortable with telling about magic so they had to make some last minute substitutions, but it's all squared away now for Halloween."

"That's good at least," Severus said, taking the papers from her. "Although I wonder if we're really doing Mr. Chance any favors by allowing his band to play here. This has always been a bit of a safe haven for him over the years no matter his lifestyle outside of the school. I hope we're not bringing it down on him."

"It wouldn't have been much longer in any case, Severus, considering they're coming out with a wizard version of the album next spring," Jennifer reminded him. "But really, I'm not too worried. He's always been very practical and wise beyond his years, and he's well aware that these sorts of 'boy bands' as he calls them don't last forever."

"Has he given you any indication yet of what sorts of fields he's interested in?" he inquired.

"Items, Charms and Enchantments. He wants to use the knowledge he's acquired of Muggle technology in the music field to try and invent or upgrade ours. Or, in his own words, 'sometimes it's just not loud enough,'" she quoted, a mischievous glint in her eye when Severus stared at her with a sour expression on his face.

"Oh. Joy," he said flatly, earning a soft chuckle as she turned away. "Staying for lunch?" he added quickly before she could get more than a few steps. Jennifer paused and gave him an apologetic yet sincere smile.

"I already made plans to meet up with Alicia and Francis for the afternoon," she admitted.

"Fine. Dinner then?"

"Alex and Ben," Jennifer said evenly. Severus sighed.

"Fine, have a good time, I suppose. Oh, um…one more thing?" he added, catching the fact that she had rolled her eyes as she turned back around again. "I don't suppose you would consider lending me your research on your family history? I'm about done here, and perhaps I might spot something you have overlooked."

"Sorry, Severus, but I gave all that to my father," Jennifer said, the irritation in her voice reemerging full force. "It's his family too after all, at least half of it. And besides that, I know very well that he at least is not in any danger of losing his job by looking into it. Excuse me," Jennifer said and stormed out of the room, leaving Severus to fall into a dark brooding.

* * *

"Father!" Lyra galloped excitedly over to the hut, peering around before she heard his voice and trotted into the barn. "Father, look! I want to show you how I wrote my name!" she said proudly, waving a paper around while he was busy trying to fill a syringe with a potion.

"In a moment, Lyra. And you really need to start calling me Doctor Sagittari while we're at the school," he said disapprovingly, attempting to settle the Griffin which snapped in annoyance at the injection. "I would step back, if I were you. I'll be out in a moment. Lyra stamped impatiently, but took a few steps back when she saw the Griffin's bird head eyeing her as if contemplating taking a peck at her. Sagitarri then carefully backed out of the stall, locking a heavy iron door attached to a high iron fence around the bottom half of it. "She's a bit testy, as you can see. Anytime you transport such animals they tend to pick up a virus or two coming into foreign surroundings, but hopefully she'll be feeling better by the time my advanced classes are ready for her."

"Where did she come from?" Lyra asked.

"She's on loan from the Pyrenees Creature Conservation Reserve. Arielle was raised by a private collector until the French Council found her during a raid, and unfortunately she's rather acclimated to humans and they've had to take care of her. They are hoping to reintroduce her to the wild someday, but it is doubtful it will happen," Sagittari explained. "Now, what is it you wanted to show me?" The curiosity on Lyra's face was quickly replaced by a beaming smile as she thrust a paper at him.

"My friends taught me how to write my name in cursive!" she said proudly.

"Yes, very good," Sagittari said with a solemn nod. "It'll help you write more efficiently and you'll get your work done faster."

"That is what they said too," Lyra frowned, looking at it. "But I don't understand why. It took me even longer to write my name this way than the other way."

"You will get faster at it," Sagittari chuckled softly, changing his gloves. "Why don't you go fill the water troughs then get cleaned up for dinner?"

"I can eat here tonight?" Lyra said brightly.

"Did I not say so?" he said and she reared up happily before galloping back outside. Sagittari shook his head with a thin smile before going back to his work.

Lyra loved to operate the pump, shooing off the pesky House Elf that was attempting to help her so she could intentionally overfill all the buckets to create a sizable puddle in the pebbled rocks around it, reminding her of the brook she spent her youth playing in.

It was as she was sloshing back through the water to fill another round of buckets that she thought she heard the snapping of a twig. She stood up straight and still and perfectly silent, gazing warily towards the forest. As impatient as Lyra's nature was, she was a centaur, and could have easily stood there at attention for hours without dropping her guard until the danger had long passed and she no longer felt threatened. As it turned out, however, a long vigil wasn't necessary, for only a few minutes later she heard a rustle around the brush. A young centaur stepped up just enough to be in her view. She blinked in surprise, putting her buckets down and glancing nervously at the barn before walking closer to the forest edge.

"Hermius?" Lyra said in a low voice, despite the fact she was far enough from the barn now that the likelihood of being overheard was remote. "What are you doing here?"

"Watching you," Hermius said solemnly. "And waiting."

"Waiting?" Lyra asked. "For what?"

"For you, what else?" Hermius said, gazing at her as if baffled that she would have even questioned that.

"You are going to have a long wait then," Lyra sighed at him. "I'm not allowed to come of age at school."

"Not allowed?" Hermius repeated incredulously, pointedly glancing at the sky, despite the fact it was much too early for stars yet. "I do not know how they could stop something such as that. Have you not studied the stars of late, or is that not allowed either?"

"Most witches and wizards don't care to study the stars," Lyra said flippantly, raising her chin a bit. "And those that do don't really see them the way we do."

"I don't care what they see, I care what you see," Hermius said. "Have you ever seen my name in the stars?"

"Perhaps I haven't cared to look," Lyra said, pretending to ignore him. Hermius studied her for a moment, but Lyra refused to meet his gaze despite the fact she could feel the intensity behind it.

"Ronan said I might go to the Constellation this year with your brother Amphion," he said solemnly. "I will not be able to attend if I haven't found a mate by the Solstice."

"I suppose you'll just have to find someone else then," Lyra said brushing off her coat disinterestedly. "I'm a witch now, and I'm not supposed to even be talking to you, so you'll just have to run along."

"Your father is a wizard and in the constellation. Can you not be both as well?" he asked.

"Not while I'm studying, no, and Father isn't allowed in the constellation now," she reminded him.

"Only because he removed you from it. You are supposed to be back at home, you know. You're supposed to be with me," he said firmly.

"So you say, but I myself have not observed anything of the sort," she said, sticking her nose in the air and gazing defiantly at him, but a strange smile was creeping across his face.

"So then you have looked for my name after all?" he challenged her. Lyra blinked in surprise, trying to figure out a clever comeback when she heard someone shouting her name.

Gasping in horror at the idea of her father catching them together, Lyra quickly galloped back, veering off at an angle so it wouldn't be completely obvious which direction she had come from as she hurriedly pumped out two more buckets of water and trotted back over to the fence with them, her father standing at the door of the hut gazing at her with a frown.

"Are you still filling the troughs? Have you been playing in the water all this time?" he frowned at her disapprovingly.

"Sorry, Father, I'll hurry," Lyra said quickly and dutifully got back to work. Shaking his head at her, he stepped back inside, and Lyra allowed herself a sigh of relief before filling the last trough and putting the buckets away.


	16. Intriguing Investigations

_A/N Welcome to an important and a tad graphic chapter. This is second chapter in two days, so you might want to make sure you're on the right one. (I think a couple of folks missed chapter thirteen.)_

_From now on, the chapters should come at a fairly rapid pace. I rather put my edits on hold at the end of book 12...the truth is, I got so wrapped up in the story that I've been writing quite fast...believe it or not, I'm on chapter 32 in this...the gap is to allow for editing because when you write that fast there's tons of typos to seek and destroy. I had intended this to be a smaller book than Twilight, but now that I look at it from thirty chapters in, I'm not quite so sure about that. I never intended the books getting so big, but there's so much to include now...I completely understand why JK's books kept seeming to double in size (although personally I really didn't like where she took the story the last couple of books for a number of reasons...it does make an interesting debate topic at times though, even with my husband who mostly agrees with me.) _

_Anyhow, there are some huge revelations in this book, and hopefully one in this chapter too. It can also get quite dark at times...and VERY suggestive at other times. However, if you've gotten this far in the series, I doubt these points will be a problem. Jennifer actually learns some tact at some point in this book...I suppose in a way so am I, for I'm getting a workout on the read between the line stuff, so hopefully it won't seem quite so forced as in previous books. In any case...Thanks for sticking with the series, keep up the reviews, and for goodness sakes, double check your chapters if you read only once a week g JCWriter._

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Intriguing Investigations

Jennifer hurried down to Pyther's office with her cloak over her shoulders, turning it into a raincoat before nodding silently to him. Taking out a watch, he snapped it open and glanced at the miniature portrait that had been painted on the inside of the case.

"Let her know we're ready," Francis told the painting and snapped it shut again, putting it away. "Does he know where we're going?"

"He didn't ask," Jennifer said so briskly that Francis sighed heavily, knowing full well from her expression that they hadn't made up yet. "If he wants to fire me for it, so be it. But this ring is too dangerous to shelf until some time he finds more 'convenient.'"

"Oh, I know, Jennifer, why do you think I agreed to help? Besides, considering my father's own part in this, I feel it's partially my responsibility as well," Francis admitted. Jennifer gazed at him a moment and then nodded thoughtfully.

"Did someone call for a cab?" Alicia asked. The two of them turned to find her standing in the portrait of herself that Francis had finished last year. The portrait simply grinned and winked at her.

"I don't suppose you can make change for a galleon?" Francis bantered innocently.

"I'll take your fare out in other ways," Alicia said mischievously, Jennifer chuckling at them as she accepted Alicia's hand to be pulled into the painting. In no time they were walking through the darkness between paintings, Alicia and Francis chatting and taunting each other as if they hadn't seen each other for days, despite the fact that Jennifer knew better. There was never a time when Alicia couldn't get to him now, and invaded so often when he was outside of the classroom that knocking was an absolute must. Still, it was wonderful to see them together, and so obviously happy and close, although Jennifer's mind wandered to her own situation, wondering if someday that ability to get to each other in a second's notice wouldn't cause problems like her talents had caused her…Jennifer pulled her mind back to the present as she found herself stepping into a painting of house plant in a what otherwise looked like a normal public bathroom.

"Why, this looks almost like one of yours, Alicia," Jennifer said with surprise as she gazed at it.

"It is, I put it here months ago," Alicia grinned. "Funny nobody's taken it down yet, isn't it? Don't worry, Mum, it's not a moving one. I used regular paint."

"Now why do I get the feeling this isn't the only plant you've put up somewhere?" Jennifer said, shaking her head as she was helped out of the frame.

"She has plants everywhere," Francis agreed with a grin as Alicia helped him out as well.

"Well, it had come in handy, and you'll find this is much, much closer to the museum," Alicia insisted.

"But won't it look odd all three of us coming out of the same bathroom?" Jennifer asked, glancing at Francis.

"No, not in Paris," Alicia said, and then walked out into what appeared to be some sort of tube station. Fortunately, Alicia and Francis seemed to know the area quite well, so before Jennifer and truly had a chance to get disoriented had found their way to a discreet doorway and slipped inside, cutting through a small corridor that opened up into the lobby of the Louvre du Magie. Francis went over to sign them in, while Jennifer shook out the raincoat, which turned back into her cloak.

"I don't suppose the one of Hamlin is still up?" Jennifer asked Alicia thoughtfully.

"No, most of Michael's paintings are back in storage except for the Village in the Dark Magic room, and his self portrait, hanging just outside of it now…I hate that painting, Mum…the Village one…it's positively the most horrendous painting I've ever seen," Alicia admitted, her look so troubled that Jennifer frowned, glancing at Francis who was gesturing at them to join him.

"I've never heard you ever say you've hated a painting before…at least not with that fervency," Jennifer commented as they went in, Francis glancing at his wife thoughtfully.

"Well, there was also the one that used to hang in the Pannage before Culwch died, I hated that one too, but even that seems tame in comparison."

"Oh, we're talking about _Silence of the Village_, then," Francis said, Alicia nodding somberly. "Yes, it is a very disturbing sight, but my father felt obligated to paint it as a reminder of the evil mankind can inflict on itself. Perhaps we should go in there first and get it over with."

"What? I thought we were just here to talk to Michael," Alicia said, flicking her eyes towards her mother and then giving him a hard stare, letting him know she didn't think it was a very good idea.

"Considering we're dealing with an artifact housing some of Mallus Craw's memories, I think it would be unwise not to," Francis said quietly.

"If it's about Mallus Craw, I want to see it," Jennifer said firmly. Francis nodded, leading the way. But when they got to the sound curtain, Alicia stopped and waved them on.

"I've seen it, so I'll just stay out here and talk to Michael," Alicia said.

"Good day, Francis, Alicia, Professor Craw," the portrait of an aged Michael Pyther said from his place on the wall along with several other wizards who had paintings within the dark magic room.

"We'll be right out, Father. I want to show Jennifer your other painting first," Francis explained, the painting nodding solemnly in response. But their reactions did nothing but make Jennifer more curious to see it. Eagerly she followed Francis into the room and over to the painting he indicated, but when she laid her eyes on it, she was quite glad that he had stayed close to her side.

It was a small medieval village, apparently built upon the foundations of even older ruins, with broken walls scattered around it and much of the same stone used to create the houses for those that had lived there…once. For now they were vacant. Now they were empty and dark. Now they were undeniably doomed to follow the fate of the ruins they had been salvaged from and lost once again in time. There was no doubt of that; there not a single soul was alive in the town, for scattered around the old walls and around the houses and doorways and in the fields of flax and grain nearby were the corpses of those that had once lived there. Many were in strange positions as they had writhed in pain…many futilely attempting to cover their ears with hands or arms, streaked with blood when their ears had blown. Some were even clutching babes and children underneath them as they had futilely tried to protect them from the incoming waves of sound that had blasted through. An array of animals were also scattered among them…from family pets to goats, chickens and other animals who had been too close to the wake. It was so macabre…so surreal. The sun shone overhead, and tiny wildflowers pushed up through the walls around the sides of the blast area, perfect and beautiful, and a tiny white butterfly made its way around them. But what struck Jennifer the most was the wrenching, painstaking detail of every face turned in their direction, painted with excruciatingly meticulous care in hopes that the individual souls that had once inhabited them could be preserved as much as the horror that had overtaken them.

"Your father was there," Jennifer said softly, knowing it was the truth even as she said it.

"Oh yes," Francis whispered back. "He had come on the heels of several other wizards. They were dumbstruck by it…they didn't even know where to begin. But my father was determined to sketch it and somehow convinced them not to touch anything until after he had. More than likely, they were simply reluctant to do anything at all and were in too much shock to argue. Many thought my father was insane for wanting to paint it. They didn't understand."

"Maybe not, but I understand," Jennifer murmured, suddenly turning out of the room. Alicia paused in her discussion when her mother came out, quite expecting her pale face and her shaken appearance, but was more than a little surprised to see that along with it there was a flaming determination in her eyes. "Alicia, I need you to get Alex, Andrew, Rel and your grandfather here, please."

"Now?" she blinked at her, glancing at Francis who seemed to be nodding in somber approval.

"Don't take any excuses, and I don't care what they're doing. Tell them I insist and it'll only take ten minutes but there's something they have to see. If they argue more than that tell them it has to do with Mallus Craw, but no more," Jennifer said. Alicia sighed.

"I'm not sure why it has to be done right this moment, but I'll try," Alicia said.

"Because I'm not sure I could live with myself any longer knowing they haven't seen it yet," Jennifer said quietly.

"I'll go make certain they're shown in," Francis said softly, the two of them slipping down the corridor. Jennifer stood silent and numb for a while before glancing over at the Michael portrait.

"That was Efadwyn, wasn't it?" she said at last.

"Yes, it was," Michael said somberly. Jennifer nodded at that, growing quiet again.

"Thank you, Michael," she said after several minutes had passed. The painting furrowed his brows at her, not quite understanding.

"For spelling me in the head," Jennifer explained bluntly. "Apparently I needed it."

"Perhaps everyone does, every now and again," Michael mused, and then glanced up as the others entered.

Thomas strode in first, looking irritable at being inconvenienced but had come at Rel's insistence, and darted a questioning glance at his daughter.

"In there, Dad. Center painting on the left wall," Jennifer said, but then held up her hand to Rel, Andrew and Alex who had moved to follow. "Let's give him a moment first," she advised.

"What is this all about, Mum?" Alex asked, glancing at Alicia who hadn't been too forthcoming either. But a moment after that, Thomas came back out darting only a single glance at his daughter before turning to Alicia.

"We need to go get Maurice," Thomas said.

"Are you sure? Isn't he a little young?" Alicia frowned, watching as Aurelius took the initiative and the other three went in.

"He's a Craw, he should be here," Thomas said firmly, "and it's a good time for me to open up a discussion I've been meaning to talk to him about for some time now." Jennifer nodded to him in approval as they left, then waited quietly for her children to view it.

One by one the others came out, looking numb. Aurelius the last of the three to finally reenter, looking a little ill.

"So this is our ancestry then," he murmured.

"The worst of it, yes, but Janus and Andrew Craw are a part of that too, after all," Alex reminded him. "It isn't as if it's all bad. Only mostly."

"Well, what do you expect out of a family of dark wizards anyhow? Model citizens?" Andrew asked. "It isn't as if we weren't told about all of this since we were little."

"We were also taught to respect and pride our family above all else. But how can you expect us to do that, Mum? Especially now," Aurelius asked.

Alicia and Thomas reentered before she could think up an answer, Thomas with a very firm arm around his son as he led him into the back room. Jennifer glanced at the magic field but didn't say anything; despite the fact she knew they would likely be in there a long while.

"Perhaps that's something we're all going to have to figure out together," Jennifer sighed. "One thing is certain. I'm even more worried about the ring than I was before now."

"Ring? What ring?" Aurelius asked with a frown.

"The one Mum has with Mallus Craw's memories in it," Alex explained. Aurelius blinked at her then noted that no one else in the room was surprised, glancing at his mother.

"You told her but not me?" Aurelius said, jerking a thumb at Alex, who stuck his tongue out at him behind his back.

"Sorry, but I needed her help with something, and you've been busy with work."

"And why isn't Father here?"

"He's not a Craw," Jennifer answered before Andrew or Francis could say anything. But Aurelius took a long hard look at his mother and let out a long sigh, shaking his head.

"You're just going to make him madder, you know."

"I didn't feel I had a choice, any more than I felt I had a choice in bringing you guys here. You needed to see it," Jennifer said quietly. But Aurelius immediately nodded.

"You're right," he said, glancing at the others who also nodded. A moment later, Thomas and Maurice came back out, the young boy with a haunted look on his face, while Thomas gazed as his daughter.

"Thank you," he said solemnly.

"Don't thank me. Francis' father painted it," Jennifer said, gesturing towards Michael, and Thomas quickly turned about to acknowledge it, glancing at Francis then back at the painting.

"You were a brave man, Mr. Pyther," Thomas said. "With any luck, your work won't be in vain…at least it won't be if I have any say so about it."

"It was a painting often denounced when I was alive…not that it has been very popular since either," Michael added gruffly. "But for the sake of both of our families, I hope you are right." Thomas nodded to him then and back to Jennifer before leading Maurice out.

"I can't believe I just expressed gratitude towards a painting," Thomas suddenly muttered in realization as they walked towards the front. The rest of them exchanged a private smile before they two wandered back out of the museum, softly conferring with each other about what had happened so far.

* * *

Jennifer had gotten back much later than she had planned, unsurprised to find that Severus had retreated to his sitting room. The door between her sitting room and the bedroom had been open as well, so that when she crossed to the window to let Ratfly out she could see his propped up legs from where he sat in his chair, reading. The reason they were open and even why he had chosen that particular seat was obvious; he had wanted to know when she got in. Sighing softly, Jennifer removed her cloak and stepped through the bedroom and leaned on the door to his room.

"Finally managed to get away from your desk, I see," Jennifer said casually.

"For most of the day, actually, but I've hardly been idle," he said evenly, not looking up from his book. "How was the museum?"

Jennifer stared at him blankly, but he was quite unreadable as he calmly turned the page and focused in on the next line. How could he have possibly known that? The children were all with her the entire time…the only one who left earlier was Thomas, and she seriously doubted that he would have said anything.

"Museum?" Jennifer asked questioningly, but immediately wondered if the silence had been too long before her response.

"That is where you said you were going, isn't it?" he asked casually, opening a side table drawer filled with tobacco tins.

"No, actually, I simply said I was going to spend the afternoon with Alicia and Francis and then have dinner with Alex and Ben," Jennifer said warily.

"I do recall you saying that now that you mention it," he said, cleaning his pipe. "Speaking of Alex and Ben, how did the blood test go?" Jennifer stared at him stonily. "You did drop by the Ministry Archives to see if there was an off chance that Ben was related to the wandsmith, did you not? But then, considering you're here and not nose first in a book down there, can I assume then that although there are some connections to the bloodline, the relationship between them is far enough apart to make it seem nothing more than incidental and therefore not strong enough to possibly allow him any access to the files you were trying to get a hold of?" Jennifer grimaced and refused to look at him. There wouldn't have been a point saying anything; any response would only dig her in deeper. "Yes, well, fortunately for you, I decided to skip all that sort of investigation and went straight to Draco over the matter. He's given me permission to access certain files within the Ministry that I might not normally have access to, although I do have to do it during regular business hours. Plumeria was more than a bit put out from having to stay open last weekend, and I don't think he cares to make any more waves with her… but I'm certain you and Hermione can manage on Monday without me, I hope?" Jennifer simply nodded. "Good, then perhaps you'll agree to having a cup of tea with me and get me up to date on what you found out before I go down there?" Sighing silently at the fact that Severus somehow managed to manipulate a truce without apologizing again, Jennifer took the offered cup and sat down beside him.

* * *

There was a definite change in the castle when Danny arrived from home early Monday morning, and she found herself breathing it in with a sigh of relief, knowing that it meant that Severus and Jennifer must have come to terms again. It was absolutely unmistakable; even as a student she had notice how tense everything got when the two of them were at odds. It was reflected in the nervous reactions of students, staff, Elves, ghosts and even paintings. It hung on everything…clung to everything…permeated the air from the moment anyone stepped onto the grounds. But that morning the castle felt relaxed again, and Danny allowed herself a private smile as she cut across towards the Quidditch Pitch and to her office nearby.

Her office, which had originally been no larger or more organized than the equipment closet outside her door, had gotten an extensive rehaul after she had taken over as advisor for Slytherin, for now she had appearances to keep. The renovations had been quite visible; the once narrow rectangular room had been lengthened and the new addition stuck out a bit so it would be easy to see the Quidditch grounds from her office. At the far end were five tall side-by-side windows taking up the length of each of five sharply angled walls. They gave her a good 180 view; specifically charmed to be resistant to projectile missiles and other such dangers, and were very lightly tinted so the owls didn't blunder into it by mistake. She spent a lot of time looking out those windows. Right now it was especially lovely with all the leaves of fall coming into color after a chill that had taken hold last week, but now the winds had died and the crisp air coming down out of the mountains seemed quite pleasant.

She had no more taken off her gloves and cloak and turned over the breakfast tray when she heard a timid knock on the door… too timid, in fact, to have been one of her students, and too early on a Monday to have been most of the staff. She opened the door curiously; completely baffled when she saw whom it was, taking a moment to look him over from head to toe before meeting his gaze.

"Team issue?" she asked. Dale shook his head. "Broken equipment? Did someone curse the rings to bend anytime a Quaffle got near them again?" she guessed.

"No, nothing like that…"

"Advisor problems?" Danny asked, but then immediately wondered if that had been the case why he would have gone to her.

"It's a personal matter. May I come in?" he asked. She stepped aside to let him in, still trying to gauge the boy as she closed the door.

"Have a seat…unless you prefer to stand, in which case, have a floor," she said, going over to her desk.

"Um, thank you," he said, sitting down.

"So, what's this personal matter of yours, Mr. Chance?"

"Well…it's about Lucky, sort of…"

"Ah, so something about Lucky you didn't want to go to your advisor about because it's her mother, is that it?" Danny said, glancing at a shelf but then turned back at him, squinting. "Isn't she a bit young?"

"What? Oh no…no, no it's nothing like that, really!" he protested, trying to laugh off his fluster. "No, she'd sooner deck me than have two words with me…well, not that I mind that all that much, really…"

"Just get to the point, Mr. Chance," Danny said bluntly.

"Well, first off…and if you don't want to answer I understand…but…what exactly happened with your father?" Dale asked. Danny stared at him completely stunned. "I am sorry, but you did tell me to get to the point."

"What makes you ask that question, Mr. Chance?" she asked carefully.

"Well…I guess I'll start by saying that I was the student the removed the Sentinels painting from the school last year to protect it," he said sheepishly, her expression never changing. "I had started talking to it after I got in trouble and was sent to the Trophy Room for detention last year and…well to be perfectly honest, I ended up talking to your young self a lot, because she's been pretty concerned about Lucky and has been giving me advice on how to handle it," he admitted, the look of shock never leaving her face. "And although the painting never really said anything directly, there have been slips by her and others in the painting that something must have happened and that's why your image was so concerned about her." Danny exhaled, trying to absorb that a moment.

"Have some tea and a scone, Mr. Chance," she said before getting a cup of her own. "So why didn't you tell me about this sooner? No…wait…better question…why are you bringing this up now?"

"Oh, because of Lucky's Owl Goal. Well, I'm sure you've heard of them…"

"I happen to know the ones for my house's students, yes, but I don't know any of the others," Danny said.

"Oh, well, see, she's been awfully tight lipped about hers, basically because she's against the entire concept of them more than anything. In fact, one of her personal goals was to not earn any owl feathers. Unfortunately, she didn't specify how long to go without them, so the box gave her a feather for succeeding at it," he chuckled. Danny grinned back at him. "We all found out about that one because she started cussing at it and was burping up soap again. But anyhow, Saturday we finally got her to tell us about the one where her goal was to make friends with the staff member she saw the least. We put our heads together and figured out it had to be you, but nobody else understood why."

"Do you understand why?" she asked quietly.

"Well, maybe not completely, but I do think it has to do with the fact that your young portrait is so concerned about her," he said. Danny nodded slowly.

"You're right," she said evenly, but then grew thoughtful. "I wonder who put that Owl Goal in there?"

"I don't know, we're not told which are which," Dale said.

"Yes, I know…sorry, I was mostly asking myself," she said with a thin smile. "Mr. Chance, I can't really tell you about Lucky…at least, not about what it is you want to know…because of student confidentiality rules. And frankly, even if they weren't there, I think it is better for both of you if it came from her anyhow. But I really would rather that you come to me with any concerns you have about Lucky's behavior rather than go to my painting from now on. I have a few years on her," she added dryly.

"Of course I will," Dale nodded. "Although my main question has to do with how we can get Lucky to come in here."

"Hm, that is a good question," Danny agreed. "I suppose by making my presence known and giving her opportunities to speak up." Dale grinned.

"That's funny. That's the same advice your portrait gave to me about her, Madame Brittle," he admitted.

"Well, since I seem to agree, maybe we ought to follow it," Danny said with amusement, and then gave him a thoughtful smile. "In the meantime, try not to worry too much. It's true that there are things troubling her, anyone can see that quite plainly. But what matters most is that she is safe and sound and surrounded by people that care for her and has a loving family that supports her. And I think once she realizes that herself, the worst of this will be over. Give it time." Dale nodded thoughtfully.

"You do know what it's about though, right?" he asked.

"All the advisors and senior staff do," Danny said evenly, and Dale relaxed a bit. "And we know a lot more than Lucky thinks we know, too, so I'd ask you not to mention it."

"No, I wouldn't, not that she talks to me much," Dale admitted. "In fact, most of my friends think I'm insane for trying still. They keep telling me to give it up."

"Then why don't you?" Danny asked, but he simply shrugged.

"I think she's worth it," Dale said with a smile. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, but considering I never wanted to be with anyone but Taylor since I was thirteen, I have a biased opinion," she admitted with a chuckle. "Don't worry, though, I'll help you figure something out."

"Thanks, Madame Brittle," Dale said, getting up and putting down his cup. But he paused at the door with a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, it's a shame the school doesn't support any sort of ground sports."

"What, sparring doesn't count?" Danny asked, but he shook his head.

"No, I mean with a ball…like Chaser ball or Air Cricket without the air part," he grinned. "Because if the school offered anything even remotely like soccer that didn't involve flying, I bet Lucky would be in the middle of it like a shot, especially since she's almost too old for her summer league now. Anyhow, see you at practice," he added and she waved him on, growing even more thoughtful. She went over to her windows, staring out at them for a moment, before finally leaving to see if Anna had gotten back to the castle yet.


	17. Under The Skin

Chapter Seventeen

Under the Skin

Severus dreaded the idea of having to go to the Ministry during a regular workday and regular work hours; in fact, he avoided it whenever it was possible. Tons of people bustled through the place between a full complement of staff, plus all the wizards and sentient magical creatures who had some sort of business there, plus a whole slew of others who only _thought_ they had business there. Every single one of them had turned their head from the moment he had stepped into the reception area, wondering what the famous wizard was into this time. Severus sighed and attempted to ignore it as he passed by with a simple nod from the receptionist before stepping down to the Archives, and then patiently waited as Minister Plum screened through every page of his documents and permissions as if looking for any loophole he might exploit.

"Oh, very well! If Minister Malfoy has given you permission to look at what you like in that section, who am I to argue?" Plumeria said in a tone that indicated that she would very much like to argue the point if she had been given the opportunity.

"I also need to look at any records pertaining to any items that may have been registered or known to have been made by Wandsmith Clemmons as well," he added, pointing to the paragraph showing that was covered in the paperwork.

"Those aren't kept here. The Archives carry legal documents pertaining to birth, death, business and criminal activity; all others are kept in their respective offices. I believe the ones you want for that would more than likely be kept in the Artifacts office considering how long ago those would be," she said.

"Very well. I shouldn't be long in this section then…I'm sure Minister Craw and my wife have both been thorough on the Craw information, but I do need those Clemmons files after the aforementioned date and also formal copies of the Mallus victims."

"I hope you mean just the ones in those three towns," Plum said solemnly. "The rest would take quite a bit of digging."

"Right now I'm only interested in those towns. Hopefully I won't need any more than that," Severus nodded, following her to the back.

As he settled at the research table, he glanced around thoughtfully, brightening the candlelight with a twist of the hand. It was definitely close in there, he mused, glancing between the shelves full of heavy tomes and bound law books, barely able to see the door from where he sat. He shrugged it off and began glancing through them and found Clemmons' criminal record. He squinted at it when he saw several of the charges had to do with aiding and abetting a known murderer, but it wasn't Mallus Craw. Did this guy stay out of anything, Severus wondered with disbelief when he saw the name of whom he had supposedly sold a cursed wand to. But then if that were true, Severus knew for certain how that line died off…

For his own personal reasons, Severus backtracked and followed a different line until it met up with its Muggle roots. Taking note of the names and dates listed there, he then searched through a few other books to solidify his conclusions before finally walking back up to the front.

"I trust you found those files more enlightening than what Professor Craw had previously," she said in such a matter-of-fact tone that Severus was quite certain that Plum had somehow found occasion to look at the files and had probably come to the same conclusion that he had.

"As it so happens, yes," Severus said expressionlessly, but met her steady gaze. "I see you found those other files rather quickly." Minister Plum smiled thinly.

"I had a feeling after your wife's first visit that it would more than likely come up again, yes," she acknowledged. "Hardly that surprising, is it?"

"And do you suppose I will find anything enlightening in here?" he asked in a casual tone, but Plumeria studied him warily a moment before a smile crept on her face.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I found it puzzling, myself," she admitted, handing him the file and then pretended he wasn't there in obvious dismissal.

But in so doing, Severus Snape was quite sure that he wouldn't so readily dismiss her again when it came to gathering facts. It had occurred to him during the exchange that the old witch had free access to an astounding amount of records and had a great deal of control over who else could see them… short of her cousin's interference now and again, Severus amended, flipping through the copies in his hand as he left the Archives and walked towards the door lifts. He found himself thinking of Mycroft Holmes, capable of processing an astounding amount of information and yet nowhere near as capable of applying it as his younger brother. This woman seemed to delve in deep for her own personal reasons; although what those were Severus couldn't fathom and wasn't sure he'd care to, especially after hearing Thomas and Jennifer's own opinions of the woman. But one thing was definitely certain; Plumeria Plum knew exactly what knowledge had been leaving the Archives from the day she had taken over the job. It was a very disturbing thought, and he was beginning to understand why Thomas admitted that the woman made his skin crawl.

Distractedly he scanned the copied lists to see if he saw any familiar surnames, but there were too many to give it more than a cursory glance as he walked down the hall for the Artifacts office wasn't all that far away. He sighed and quickly organized the lists, wondering if he would have to bother with an appointment, when suddenly someone came out of the doorway he was just about to enter and was forced to jump back to keep from crashing into her, barely able to hold onto the papers in his hand.

"Oh no, you again! Do you ever look where you're going, sir?" the dark-haired witch asked, and he immediately recognized her as the same girl he had crashed into two weeks before.

"Yes, well, apparently neither do you," Severus retorted, righting his papers. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Minister Coffers isn't in," she informed him evenly, sizing him up with her dark blue eyes while still standing in the doorway.

"I'm certain one of his assistants will do for what I need. Now, if you don't mind?" he said. But instead of continuing out she stepped back in, apparently more than a little suspicious of what he was up to. He felt a bit of satisfaction when everyone jumped to their feet when we walked in, despite the fact it had always bothered him before. Of course, he also wasn't used to being sized up like that, either.

"Good morning, Professor. What can we do for you?" asked one of them, walking over to the counter.

"I'm simply looking for some old records on some fifteenth century items if you don't mind, Otto," Severus said, handing him one of the papers.

"Ah, yes, Minister Malfoy mentioned you might be around today. Let me go track those down for you," Otto said cordially slipping to the back. Severus felt eyes on him but ignored it, glancing over the lists again.

"So you're a professor of something?" the woman asked.

"Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, actually," Severus said evenly.

"What? Is that all?" she said in surprise. Severus felt a sudden surge of heat rush up his neck but had trouble controlling it. He began drumming his fingers against his arm, wondering how long it was going to take Otto to find those files. "Sorry, I meant no offense, of course. It was just that the way everyone was jumping about, I concluded perhaps 'professor' meant you were an expert on some matter, not a common school teacher."

One of the other assistants' heads whipped up and he stared at her. All the color had drained out of his face, he and was half expecting the obviously irate Snape to strike her down where she stood. Another clerk decided it would be wiser to run back to try and hurry Otto up, and in the process get himself out of any possible crossfire.

"Considering you are obviously not from anywhere around here, I would advise that you be a bit more cautious on your wording when you have no idea exactly who you are dealing with," Severus said icily.

"To be fair, you have no idea who you're dealing with either," she pointed out. "Of course, that's easy enough to correct. My name is Samira Lamya, specialist in Ancient Artifacts, and a special envoy from the International Wizards Council, Asia Minor branch. I'm here to conduct some research concerning a classified artifact that passed through this country at one point and also to try and track it to its next source. Yes, well, that's hardly a glamorous job either, you know. Some think it quite tedious, though I've always thought of it more like putting a puzzle together or reading a good mystery; with clues scattered here and there, a red herring now and again to keep things interesting, and of course the deep satisfaction of watching it all come together in the end."

"Severus Snape," Severus said curtly, having absolutely no intention whatsoever of monologuing in return.

"What? Not really?" she said in amazement, but he simply nodded again despite the fact he felt her eyes boring through him. "The same who did all that groundbreaking work on Ancient Temporal Magic?"

"Hardly groundbreaking, considering it was Ancient Magic. I simply rediscovered something that was already there," Severus said evenly, irritatingly aware that she had stepped over beside him, leaning on a counter to get a better look at him.

"Oh, nonsense, Ancient Magic is simply a field of magic. That doesn't mean it can't be used in new ways, and some of the theories I read at least were quite brilliant, actually. That you were able to use them to defeat that horrid creature messing with our time stream proves that…you do look a lot younger than I expected, though! And whatever are you still doing in teaching?"

Otto Delaney, who had just emerged from the other room, hesitated momentarily when he heard her question and then rapidly picked up the pace, holding out a pair of tomes and a folder to him.

"Here you are, Professor. The loose records in the folder are items that were only rumored to be one of his or attributed to be, just in case," he said, waiting there while Severus thumb through it.

"Quite thorough…for a Hufflepuff," Severus said expressionlessly, but Otto simply grinned at him in response. "Do you care if I take this across to my son's office? I find it rather stuffy in here," he added, not even gracing the woman with a look over his shoulder.

"Of course, sir, take your time. I'll eat here in the office so you can return it whenever you're done," Otto said.

"You have a son?" the woman asked curiously.

"Three sons, three daughters," Severus said briskly, turning without looking at her and heading for the door.

"Wow, that's quite a brood. No wonder you never got any farther than teaching," she said, slipping behind the counter to gather up some work of her own.

Severus nearly stopped in his tracks, but somehow managed to press on with only the slightest stumble, refusing to let her bait him any more. He stepped out of the room, unaware that behind him the rest of the room was cringing to make up for his stolid composure. He was well away from the door before he allowed himself a snarl. Who in the hell does she think she is, International Council or not? It wasn't as if he couldn't have chosen that path if he had the time or the interest or the stomach for the hobnobbery that went with it. So what if he could have perhaps gotten farther in certain research circles, if he had the patience for countless spell grant proposals and rejections that went with them. _Only_ a Headmaster? As if Hogwarts meant absolutely nothing at all? Perhaps it was just a school, but still reputedly the best…not to mention some of the greatest wizards of all time had served there. Only a teacher…was that true then of Dumbledore as well? That, at least, was absolutely laughable. So why in the blazes was it bugging him so much?

Jamie Potter, who as the newest inducted Auror got the 'choice' job of monitoring the magic Tracer Board for the day, glanced up in surprise from where she sat with her feet propped up on the desk.

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to borrow a table," Severus said and promptly ignored her. Jamie pretended to be more attentive to the flags on Tracer Board now that there was an audience in the room, until she happened to glance at her nails and realized she had managed to rip one off helping Rel apprehend a rather psychotic dark witch that had a knack with liquefaction spells. Soon she was checking her other nails to see if any dirt had gotten in them from her attempts to quicksand them and forgot the fact he was there altogether.

Severus wished she had her level of concentration at that moment, still attempting to calm down after his encounter with that Samira woman. He was quite certain there was some sort of clue in what he had been given, but he was also just as certain that he was very much fed up with research for one day. A bit desperate to find something rather than walk back to the castle empty handed, Severus forced himself to read. The last thing he wanted was to be put in a position where he had to recount the exchange to Jennifer.

* * *

Jennifer had been sitting in the Headmaster's Study that evening marking papers and waiting for her dinner date when Anna, Danny, and Hermione came in. When she heard what they were about, a glowing smile came to her face and she suggested a couple other people to include, so by the time a rather tired Severus Snape got up to his study, he found himself staring at a group made up of Jennifer, Anna, Danny, Hermione, Sally, and Boulderdash. Danny nudged Anna up to stand in front of them, Anna giving her a dirty look in response.

"Oh no," he said when he looked over the group, walking over to his desk. "Anna, whatever it is that you and the others are plotting, my answer…"

"Wait!" they all protested at once.

"Really, Severus, at least hear her out," Jennifer protested, and Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Anna, tell him your idea."

"Well, technically, it was Danyelle's idea…"

"No it wasn't!" Danny hissed at her. "No matter whose idea it was, it certainly can't be mine!"

"I don't mind if it's my idea," Jennifer offered.

"No, I don't think that's wise either," Danny said to her.

"Well, it definitely wasn't my idea," snorted Boulderdash.

"I don't know enough about it to even suggest it was my idea," Sally admitted.

"Fine! It was my idea!" Anna said, throwing up her hands. Severus simply stared at them. "Severus, we've all been talking…"

"Apparently not long enough to establish whose idea it was," Severus mused. "To the point?"

"The point is that we think Hogwarts ought to be supporting a football league between the houses," Anna said, Severus gazing at her expressionlessly. "A lot of these children grew up in Muggle households and know the sport, and the ones in non-Muggle households would benefit from the exposure to another culture, especially considering how many times I myself have seen a number of turned up noses from students when the sport is mentioned. Danyelle has already said she is more than willing to put a few more hours a week in for it, not to mention since it's on the ground we wouldn't have to restrict the first years from playing, either."

"Or any age," Sally put in. Severus gazed at them expressionlessly for a moment.

"May I continue now?" Severus asked. Anna frowned at him. "As I was saying, whatever it is that you and the others are plotting, my answer is yes unless the board finds out about it…although considering what you came to me about I hardly think that last bit is necessary. There is no way I could possibly win when all my advisors, sister and wife are ganging up on me. Hermione, I expect you and Danyelle can get together on scheduling, paperwork and equipment expenses and get it to me, and Anna, I need some sort of silly write-up on how this sort of Muggle culture exposure is educational for the board to gawk at when I bring it up. Might I eat now? Boulderdash, you may want to stay for a moment."

Immediately they all grinned and started talking at once, Anna thanking him and Hermione nodding in approval before ushering the rest of them out. Jennifer chuckled and shook her head at him with a smile.

"Rather extraordinary lengths to go to for one student, isn't it?" Severus asked knowingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Professor," Jennifer said, the smile never leaving her face.

"Yes, and Truth Seekers make great liars," Severus said back.

"Didn't the Bridal Club start because of one student's interest as well?" Boulderdash put in.

"Yes, also relation," Severus said disapprovingly.

"Well, it's been popular ever since and without _too_ many broken arms and legs, so I imagine this will work out as well. And to hell with the favoritism argument! She still would have to make a team, and as her advisor, I for one would like to see something slice through that shell of hers and let some of that pain out. You've gone through extraordinary lengths this year to accommodate taking in a centaur that needed your help, Professor, so I don't see anything at all wrong with giving a little for one of your own. You never know, it might also open doors for some students we didn't even realize needed the special attention yet," Boulderdash pondered thoughtfully.

"I did agree to it, didn't I?" Severus said tersely, getting a toothy sneer in response and a glowing smile from his wife. "Anyhow, I suppose you're probably wondering why I asked you to stay behind. It has to do with a project of my wife's that I was helping her on." Jennifer gazed at him with interest, but was disappointed when she saw he had mentally cut himself off again.

"Oh?" Boulderdash prompted.

"Yes, we've been researching a wandsmith by the name of Osgar Clemmons," Severus said evenly. The response was immediate…Jennifer nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of the low fierce growl at the back of the goblin's throat. "Did you know he was responsible for creating Mallus Craw's wand and several other devices that Craw had in his possession?"

"No, but I'm hardly surprised either, considering they say Mallus killed him," Boulderdash said, Jennifer gaping at him in complete surprise, wondering how he knew that. "Unfortunately, he was not killed soon enough, considering what happened to us as a result of his work."

"Exactly what do you mean?" Jennifer asked.

"Jennifer, Clemmons seems to have been the Wandsmith who not only created Yardley Platt's first wand, but according to rumor also had occasion to curse a few goblin daggers and make some sort of detection device of Platt's personal use before he began on his killing spree."

"What?" Jennifer said in horror, glancing at Boulderdash who looked grim. "That man didn't stay out of anything, did he?"

"From what you've told me and what I've read, I believe the man often attempted to use his gift for dark items to influence some of the more powerful dark wizards of the time to do some of his dirty work for him. He would make them a particular item and in return he would ask they do him a 'favor' by bumping off someone who he had a personal vendetta with. That was actually rather easy to figure out once I realized from the dates that since Clemmons died when Yardley was still young, one of the very first goblins found wandslashed and gutted by a goblin dagger must have been someone they both had a very strong disliking to…Grendelbane the Eleventh. I wouldn't be surprised if the shop had lost a few trade secrets that day. Of course, you must realize now what happened to Clemmons direct family line."

"They were exterminated," Boulderdash said evenly.

"So it would seem," Severus agreed. "Of course there really didn't seem to be any official proof in that, and a couple of the sons did seem to live a while before someone finally caught up to them. I imagine they were too much on the run to settle down as it were. I would guess that unlike the Platts, who had several honorable members in that family as well as their obviously insane son, that the Clemmons weren't too well liked because of all the meddling they had done. They had nowhere to turn when the goblins finally said enough was enough and decided to take matters into their own hands; not having any means of refuge, the family was eliminated. The goblins were hoping that such drastic actions against these families would keep this sort of thing from happening again."

"And so it did," Boulderdash said. "Although to be fair, a great many laws were also changed after that with much harsher penalties and better procedures and the like. For you see, despite its obvious omission from wizard history, goblin history states that there were a great number of goblin deaths by Platt before the Council at the time would even look into it. Even when they pleaded enough to get them to _say_ someone would look into it, no one actually did. In fact, he was at it for years."

"That's horrendous," Jennifer said, and Boulderdash nodded grimly.

"Anyhow, there's the solution to the mystery of what happened to the magic branch of the Clemmons line, Jennifer. It seems to have nothing to do with the Craw line directly, and it hardly helps us with our current dilemma of trying to get rid of the cursed ring that Clemmons created. But I thought it best to clue in Boulderdash that we were working to rid ourselves of one of his items, considering I have a feeling that the goblins have may some knowledge of some of his items that we probably don't. At least, perhaps, we might be able to confirm or dispel some of this list I have of items he was rumored to have created but the Wizard Council had no proof of?"

"Might I have a copy of the list, sir?" Boulderdash asked, quickly finding it in his hand. "I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you," Severus said, and the goblin sneered in response and left still glancing at the paper in his hand. Jennifer turned then, gazing at him thoughtfully as he cleared enough room on his desk for the dinner tray.

"Isn't it strange? I mean, I wouldn't have given much thought that the Craws and Platts had any connection at all, even given that they seemed to both be reaching the height of their power within thirty or forty years of each other," Jennifer said.

"On the contrary, I think that fact makes it even more likely they would have bumped into each other, even if only by a mutual acquaintance," Severus said. "There are very few dark families that has lasted as long or as strongly as those two and still have connections to the here and now. And the fact that such pure blood families tended to travel in small circles and intermarry, it made a lot of sense that they would have known, married, or murdered each other at some point. From what I was able to tell, however, there wasn't any direct connection; they had completely different quarries and enemies, after all. Also, you might find it interesting to know that the trace bloodline that Ben has seems to be stemmed off a very distant Muggle relative…cousins a great many number of generations removed."

"I knew it was casting in the dark when we tried it," Jennifer said with a shrug. "I suppose I also should have known that whatever was going on with my bloodlines that there had to be a more reasonable explanation for what happened to the Clemmons line."

"I still think it's possible your family lines are coincidence, Jennifer, and what I found on the subject seems to agree with it. The Craws seemed to be victims of their own bad choices, and the Ravenclaws simply didn't have many children born with magic…rather like Anna's family, if you think about it…how the magic seemed to simply pass on through the main female line over time and otherwise didn't seem to carry over," Severus said with a shrug. Jennifer felt a strange tingle through her.

"It is very much like Anna's mother's line, isn't it?" Jennifer said thoughtfully, for it had never occurred to her before. "Do you suppose we have a common ancestor?"

"Unlikely, considering as you know Anna has the bloodlines of all four Merlin descendents, and you had none," Severus said, handing her a cup.

"True, although it could have been someone before that," Jennifer said. Severus gave her a dirty look, tapping the cover of her dinner plate pointedly.

"I am _not_ going to try and trace my sister's bloodline just to satisfy your curiosity on a matter that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem at hand, especially considering there is no way to trace back that many thousands of years when few yet had written languages, let alone written records," Severus said firmly, growing more annoyed when the look didn't leave Jennifer's face.

"Yes, but perhaps your Aunt Viviane might know," Jennifer said.

"Don't you dare even think of going that route," Severus said with a dangerous flash in his eye. "There is no reason to stir her into this even if she were willing to play the game…and come to think of it, if she was willing to offer an opinion, it would make me all the more leery. I think we've done more than enough research on your bloodline and frankly, I'm quite done up on it and so should you be. True, we uncovered some interesting facts on Clemmons background in the process, but now it's time to drop it. You researching the ring and the facts surrounding it so we can try to be rid of it is one thing, but I think we can do without the wild goose chases that frankly have little to do with anything besides explain why you have no Merlin blood in you, and I don't see how that could possibly play in this whole ring business at all, do you?" he asked. Jennifer frowned thoughtfully, but didn't answer at first, finally uncovering her plate so she could pick at her food. "Besides, I can think of a lot better uses of time," he mused. Jennifer looked up at him with a slight grin, very much expecting his eyes to be fixed on her. She blinked in surprise however when he seemed to be concentrating on the liquid inside of his teacup. "In fact, I was thinking about digging into some of my old notes on some of the ancient runes I found in the Solomon stash and write something up on it. It occurred to me it's been a while since I've offered anything to the public on my research and it's probably high time I published something again."

"Oh really?" Jennifer said, staring at him in astonishment, but he was concentrating on his dinner. Then again, considering how restless he had been, it was more than likely that working on a project that in depth would cure his brooding for a while…Jennifer smiled and nodded. "You're right, I think that's a splendid idea. Come to think of it, it wouldn't hurt me to get back on my dream potion research once all this ring business is over…that is, of course, if you no longer have any personal objections to my working on it?" she asked carefully, succeeding in getting his attention again. Severus sighed softly.

"You are right, Jennifer, the ring needs to be destroyed, especially after everything we've learned," he said quietly. "I don't feel safe knowing it's in the school and I certainly don't feel safe knowing the thing is around your neck."

"It's a lot safer on me than not so I can react quickly if anything does set it off, as much as I doubt it can through the box I made for it," Jennifer said.

"Yes, I know," he said with a nod. "Very well! But don't you dare try to sneak behind my back again to do it! I'll put your and Hermione's names back on the staff library list after we finish eating." Jennifer smiled warmly at him, and something in that smile told him that she had finally forgiven him for what had happened. But for some reason, his feeling of relief was tempered with something else he couldn't put his finger on, and he wondered why the loving smile made him feel so uncomfortable, despite the fact he knew she couldn't read him at that moment.


	18. Toby the Goalkeeper

Chapter Eighteen

Toby the Goalkeeper

    Ambrose Bailey was the first person off the bus, beaming gloriously as he hopped onto the streets of Hogsmeade.  Finally!  Lucky shouted at him to wait up as he ran off towards Bailey's Boutique, shaking her head before jogging to catch up with Connie.  Getting off the bus, Dale wistfully gazed in their direction despite the fact that Lindsay, Laura and Bobby were trying to veer him another way.

  "Let's go get our potion kits filled first to get it out of the way.  Besides, didn't you say you needed something for your items class?" Bobby pointed out.

  "I still say we should go to Honeydukes first before it fills up," Lindsay complained.  Reluctantly, she followed them to Willowby's Wands and Weeds, wistfully glancing down a side street.  "Do you suppose Mr. Toby has his shop open?"

  "Who?" Dale asked.

  "He's a shopkeeper and has a place that's only here part of the time, and sometimes gone for years.  He was open last Christmas holiday though," Lindsay explained.

  "That explains it then.  I was in a recording studio for most of that," Dale said.

  "Let's run over there and check real quick," Laura said.  "It's just a few doors down from here if it's there."

  As the four of them walked down the street, they noticed that one or two other students came off the bus and ran straight past them, stopping to stare at a brick wall for a moment before shaking their heads and walking back.

  "If you're looking for Toby's, it doesn't seem to be there," Bindy Carr stated as she passed by them with a sigh.  "Just my luck!  I had to go to my grandmothers for the holidays last year!  I bet it'll be simply ages before we see him again!"

  "All the same, I think we'll have a quick look just in case," Lindsay said.

  "Suit yourself," Bindy said with a shrug.  "But don't blame me if Honeydukes runs out of the new frog series before you get around to it."

  "Maybe we really ought to hit there first," Laura said thoughtfully.

  "Not until I have a go at looking for Toby's.  Father told me once that sometimes the shop only appears to some of the people some of the time, so it might still be there," Lindsay insisted, then ran over to the brick wall, staring at it.  The others went over and stared at it as well.  Dale frowned and looked between them.

  "Are you sure you guys just aren't pulling my leg about this?" he asked.

  "No, but we can if you like," Bobby moving to grab one of his legs.

   "Oh, cut it out!" Dale said, kicking at him until the two started swatting at each other.

  "Would you two just stop it?  Honestly!" Laura sighed at them.  "Come on, Lindsay, it's not here.  Why did you think it would be?"

  "I don't know, just a feeling," Lindsay sighed, the three of them turning to walk back towards Corey's.  But just then Ambrose came barreling out of the dress shop and ran towards them at full speed, Lucky and Connie coming out behind him with a lot less enthusiasm.  "It's not there," Lindsay shouted as he ran near them.

  "Sure it is!" Ambrose said with such certainty that they stopped walking.  "I asked my Mum about stuff for my tapestry, and she said I should try Toby's!"  A wooden owl flew down and landed on Ambrose's shoulder, his head bobbing strangely up and down.  "Look, even Archimedes thinks he's here!"

  "She did sound pretty sure he was there," Connie said as they finally caught up to him.

  "Yeah, she did," Lucky agreed.

  "Come on, come on!   I can't wait until you guys meet him!  And his shop is fantastic!" Ambrose said excitedly.  Lucky rolled her eyes at him.

  "It's just a shop.  A weird shop, but still a shop," she complained when he ran over to where the brick wall had been, the others following behind.

  It was at that second that Dale and the others realized that the brick wall was gone, and in its place was the famous trinket shop.  A large sign on the glass door had the printed words:  **Open for Business This Weekend Only!**  While underneath in fine script was written:  _So if you have any shopping to do with me, I suggest you come in and do it!_

Ambrose burst in the door to find he was the only one there besides the apparently snoozing old tinker.  He opened one eye and gave the boy a devilish smile as Ambrose ran over to the counter, the others filing in after him.

  "Why, if it isn't Ambrose Bailey and company!" the Tinker said, sitting up and leaning over the counter to look at him.  "And what brings you here to my shop on this fine morning?"

  "My mother said she came in yesterday and prepaid you one item in case I needed something, as a gift from her," Ambrose said.

  "So she did," Mr. Toby said with obvious amusement, taking off his glasses to clean them.

  "So I can pick something out then, right?" Ambrose asked excitedly.

  "It doesn't break any Agreements that I know of," Mr. Toby said mischievously.

  "Just don't let the Professor find out about it," Lucky snorted, and Toby turned to look at her with a smile.

  "Now don't you worry about that, Fortuna.  I can handle my own affairs.  I must say, it's so nice to see so many outstanding members of the Order of the Owl in my shop at once!  I've heard many good things about your Order, of course, and I think if you look, you might find something that would help you with your goals this year," he said with a warm smile.

  "You know about the order?" Bobby asked curiously.

  "Only what a little bird told me," Toby said with a smile.  Archimedes suddenly bobbed his head.  "Please!  Come in and look for yourselves before the word gets out that I really am here after all," he added with a mischievous twinkle in his icy blue eyes.

  As the others began to wander, Dale stood in the doorway, staring.  He gazed unsurely at the figure behind the counter, feeling a tingle down his spine when the old tinker spoke, and he watched as the expressions played out in the tinker's face knowing he had seen them before.  It was the eyes that finally got him, and he found himself looking over at Ambrose then back again.  He then looked over at the wooden owl, suddenly remembering that Ambrose had gotten him here…and the tinker had called Lucky by her first name without even a single comment from her…and somehow he knew before the man even spoke to him that he was going to do the same to him.

  "You should come in too, Wilbert.  I'm quite certain there's something in here for you as well," said Toby the Tinker calmly, despite the fact that Dale was looking at him with a dropped jaw and all the color drained out of his face.  So that's how it was possible…so that's how Ambrose could possibly be…  "Hello, Wart," Toby said with a calm nod, and Dale looked up in surprise to see Aurelius Snape standing there out of breath, his face pale and eyes darting around the room as if to try and figure out what was going on.

  "Wow…" Dale murmured in awe, turning back to look at the tinker, stunned and yet completely certain he was right.  Alerted by the boy's surprise, Aurelius looked over at Dale.  "Oh, WOW!" Dale exclaimed, and then quickly found a hand over his mouth and an arm firmly around him.

  "Excuse me a moment, sir.  A little business to take care of," Aurelius explained.

  "Yes of course, it's always good to mind one's own business," Toby said with amusement as Aurelius dragged Dale outside.  "Just as the rest of you should mind your own business as well," he added when he saw everyone else staring back at the door, wondering what was going on.

  "You don't think your brother is going to arrest him for something?" Connie whispered nervously to Lucky.

  "For what?  Singing off key?" Lucky sneered at her before glancing back at the shelves.  She frowned as she noticed something and picked it up, staring at the journal thoughtfully.

  "Did you end up with the keeping up a journal thing too?" Connie asked when she saw Lucky looking at it.

  "You too, huh?" Lucky said, glancing at it.  "You want it?"

  "I don't know, I just found a really neat book I'm thinking about getting," Connie admitted.

  "Which book did you find, Miss Weasley?" Mr. Toby said from behind the counter, and they turned to see he had been watching them.

  "_'The Incurable Human Condition; an Argument in Favor of Mortality_,'" Connie read.

  "Ah yes!  A very good book if I do say so myself," Toby agreed with a nod.  Lucky stared at him.  Then she stared at Connie.

  "How is that 'a really neat book'?" Lucky asked her flatly.

  "Well, how many books do you see in here, anyhow?" Connie challenged her.

  "Considering this is only like the second time it's been open, who am I to judge?" Lucky asked.

  "Yes, a good point, who are you to judge?  I think it's a fine choice, Miss Weasley," Toby said, gesturing her over to the jar.  "And I see you've managed to find one of my journals, Fortuna?  I wouldn't be in such a hurry to put it back, you know.  It is charmed so no one besides the owner can open it, and it'll never run out of pages.  And not only that…" he said, leaning over further,  "it's one of the few items in my shop that, if you do happen to purchase it, neither of your parents will complain about."

  "I'll believe it when I see it," Lucky said flatly.

  "That's very wise of you, Fortuna.  It never hurts to be a bit skeptical about everything, as long as it doesn't get in the way of solid reasoning," Toby said approvingly.  He glanced up as Dale came back in, the boy smiling timidly at the tinker before going over to look at the shelves thoughtfully.  Suddenly he grinned, pulling a football off the shelf.  Toby then looked over with a smile as Ambrose came up to the counter with a large wooden loom and a wooden box full of colored silk spools.

  "Do these count as one item?" Ambrose asked.

  "Yes indeed, that's sold as a set, but let me minimize that for you so you're not tripping about with it all day.  I'll even throw in some basic instructions.  Making a tapestry, are we?" Toby asked with a smile.

  "It's one of my Owl Goals," Ambrose agreed, Bobby glancing around in confusion.

  "Why would anybody give you making a tapestry as a goal?" he wondered, pulling a pocket-sized day planner off a shelf.

  "I don't know, but I sure am glad it's here!  It's likely to take me the rest of the year to finish it!" Ambrose said with exasperation.

  "Well, take your time and do it right, son.  Anything worth doing at all is worth doing right," Toby said as he pulled out a small open cardboard box and put the miniaturized loom and kit inside of it.

  "But what if I make a mistake?" Ambrose frowned, glancing inside the box.

  "Well, if you do make a mistake, I suggest you try and find it and unwind it as quickly as you can," Toby advised, tapping the box.  "Because any time you have a long-term goal like this one, you're going to find that the longer you go without fixing a problem…no matter how small of a mistake it is at first…the more work it's going to take for you to go back and fix it.  And here, of course, is someone who needs to learn that lesson even more than you do," he said, glancing up to see Severus Snape standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips with Jennifer peering around his shoulder curiously.  "Good morning, Severus!  How good of you to drop in.  I've been expecting you," Toby said with a smile.

  "Yes, I'm sure you have," Severus said curtly and walked further in.  "And just how exactly is it that you managed to sell Mr. Bailey an item this time?"

  "I didn't sell him anything, Severus, nor did I give him anything either," Toby said when he saw Severus start to open his mouth again.  "As it so happens, Mrs. Bailey came to see me last evening and put some money in the jar on Ambrose's behalf in case he decided he needed something today," Toby explained, Severus' expression darkening, while Jennifer pursed her lips knowingly.

  "I just got a loom and some silk for my Owl Goal, Professor," Ambrose said, dutifully showing him the box.  Severus sighed then noticed his daughter standing nearby and squinted.

  "I'd rather you not get anything here either, Fortuna," he scowled.

  "What?" she said defensively then held up what she had on her hand.  "I was just gonna get a journal!"  Severus and Jennifer exchanged a private glance.

  "Very well, that you can buy," Severus sighed.  Jennifer began to look around until she found a small wooden box topped with a pane of black glass with words printed on it, and she smiled enigmatically.  Severus was too busy watching the students, a bit surprised to see Bobby with an organizer, Dale with the football, Laura with stationary and Lindsay with a quilting kit.  He then glanced at Connie, seeing a book in her hand.  "And what is that?"

  "It's a book on human psychology, Professor," Connie said.

  "Hm," Severus said, finally looking back up to the counter to see Toby smiling broadly.  "Fine, I won't interfere."

  "Thank you, Severus," Toby said sincerely.  "And if you wait just a moment, I might have something for you," he added, ignoring the suspicious look on Severus' face, too busy helping each student with a bag or box as needed and hurried them along to shop elsewhere.  He then smiled and waited on Jennifer, putting her box in a bag as well.  As she reached over to get it from him, Toby grabbed her hand and kissed it, stunning both Jennifer and Severus who stared at him agape, while Toby's eyes gazed at her steadily, somehow both gentle and fierce at the same time.  "My dear, you are the most brave and beautiful woman of your time.  Don't you ever forget that, Jennifer.  Not even for an instant," he said sincerely before giving her the bag.  Smiling unsurely at Toby and then glancing at Severus who was glaring murderously at the tinker, Jennifer cleared her throat and excused herself to wait outside.

  "And just what exactly was that all about?" Severus snapped.

  "Well, obviously, whatever it was about, Severus, it had absolutely nothing to do with you," Toby said digging under the counter.  "Ah!  Here you are!" he went on before Severus had a chance to respond, putting down a tiny white net encased in four sides with iron bars.  Severus squinted at it.  "And it's exactly what you need, whether you know it or not.  It's a new goal," he explained.  Severus rolled his eyes.  "Oh, yes, I know it's small now, but new goals can grow, after all.  This particular one I'll donate to your school's new sports agenda, but of course I'm sure you've guessed I'm simply using it as an example," he said, pulling out another one and then setting them in a box.

  "We all have goals we want to accomplish in our lifetimes, Severus, despite what those goals may be or even how long our lifetimes are.  Finishing one lends to a deep satisfaction and sense of accomplishment and self growth…and of course you realize this, else you wouldn't have set the Order of the Owl with this new goal system of yours, which I find is quite brilliant, actually," he said with a smile.  "That is why I made certain that those in the order with healthy goals will be able find things in here to help support their decisions to follow them.  Of course, just as there are healthy goals, sometimes we set unhealthy goals for ourselves as well… some can be downright self destructive… although, one might argue that a bad goal is better than no goal at all.  So I hope, Severus, that before you allow yourself to stagnate any further now that the feeling of accomplishment has wavered from your old goals, that you will take the time to set some new ones, whatever they may be.  I myself probably won't approve of them all, but then, as you have always advocated, you do have free will and I respect that no matter which path you choose to take.  It can be hard, sometimes, you know…watching people make decisions that you know aren't going to turn out well and knowing there is nothing you can do but stand and watch.  It can be, in fact, quite heartbreaking.  I wonder if you can imagine just how shattered I was when the boy I had held such high hope for, capable of curing mankind's ills, when he fell victim to his own bad decisions.  I watched as he was wiled away by a half sister, as well as a twisted prophecy that he believed in despite my warnings, and in the process ended up tearing apart the kingdom we had so painstakingly nurtured.  It was devastating, Severus.  Absolutely devastating.  And yet I also wonder now…if the we aren't careful…if we might be faced with something similar to that event again.  God, I hope not," he murmured, and then shook his head.  He glanced at the box, momentarily lost in his own thoughts.  "Your goals, Severus, for the school.  The advice as always is quite free."

  "For some reason, I highly doubt that," Severus said acidly, but took the box with him on his way out.  Toby sighed deeply when he left, lacing his fingers together and putting his head on them as he pondered his future memories, allowing himself a moment of quiet before he got brave enough to let the world see his shop again.

  "That took a bit," Jennifer said when he finally stepped out, the children all having scattered to other shops and to spread the word that Toby's was back.  "What did he want this time?"

  "I don't know, he began to ramble after awhile," Severus shrugged.  "But I think I'm ready for a stiff drink at the Brooms now."  Jennifer smiled at him sympathetically as they wandered back to the main street.


	19. The Dance and Other Missteps

_A/N Finished the rough draft on this book yesterday...44 chapters, 600 pages (so it did turn out to be shorter than Twilight by quite a bit after all) It needs a lot of editing, and I prefer to pace chapters anyhow so you guys have a chance to review if you want, but do watch chapter counts etc, sometimes I like to double up on them and I know only half my readers have read Toby's chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and update you on stuff. Also going to see about finishing those uploads on the old as well...I'm halfway through King at the moment. Anyhow, this has actually turned into one of my favorite books...(but then again, I've said that about each book at one time or another) so I hope you like it too. Here's the next chapter...albeit a bit rough on poor Jennifer... enjoy it, nonetheless JCWriter_

Chapter Nineteen

The Dance and Other Missteps

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_I've been wanting to see this one girl for awhile, but every year she ends up going to the Spectral Ball with friends rather than taking a date. What do you suggest I do? Second to Friends._

_Dear Second:_

_Get dates for her friends before asking her. Madame Mirth._

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_I've been having problems with this guy bugging me all the time for a date and he's driving me up the wall. Telling him off only seems to make it worse, and lately he's been writing to advice columns to annoy me. What's the best way to ditch a guy? Not a Chance._

_Dear Not: Buy a shovel. Madame Mirth._

"Hey Lucky!" Dale said, walking over to her table with the paper in his hand. "Have you seen the paper yet?"

"Yeah, why, are you over here to lose some teeth?" Lucky scowled at him, cracking her knuckles.

"No, no, not _that_ part. I meant about Hogwarts starting a football league," Dale said impatiently, taking the paper out of her hand and turning it from the advice column to the sports column.

"What, really?" Lucky said, her demeanor instantly changing as he tapped the right column. She swatted away his hand as she read:

Madame Black and Madame Brittle would like to announce plans for a new spring football league for the school. Tryouts will begin this Saturday at noon for all interested parties on the grounds next to the Quidditch Pitch and will also meet for practice and instruction as weather permits. All years are encouraged to attend.

"All right! About time we got some real sport in here!" Lucky said enthusiastically.

"You're kidding, right?" Reggie snorted. "It's been tried in the past, you know. It's not going to work."

"Why wouldn't it?" Connie asked.

"Well, for one thing, I bet you won't see any of them showing up," he said, jerking his thumb over at the Slytherin table.

"There will be at least one," Connie promised him primly.

"Let's just let Madame Brittle worry about that problem," Dale said. "Of course, I realize this is going to cut into a lot of people's study times on Saturday afternoons, but I think we should encourage people in the order to play. It's really going to kill my schedule, since I have Quidditch practice too and our first game coming up."

"I don't care if we're gonna encourage people or not, I'm playin'," Lucky said firmly.

"Assuming you can get on the team, of course," Connie pointed out.

"Don't worry about that, I'll get on," Lucky said, waving it off unconcernedly.

"Of course she will," Dale agreed. "By the way, Lucky, who you going with to the Spectral Ball on Friday, anyhow?"

"Bill, of course, who else?" Lucky said, rolling her eyes at him that he'd even bring it up as she piled her eggs onto her toast and folded it over.

"Really?" Dale said thoughtfully. "That's funny, because I heard him say he was going with Winnie Brim." Lucky choked. "You know, you really shouldn't scarf your food like that. Anyhow, my band is going to be playing that night, but if you want to hang out between sets, just let me know," he said, walking away. Lucky threw down her sandwich, glaring at the Hufflepuff table. Finally spotting Ambrose, Lucky swung around and stormed over to him, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him outside, ignoring his protests.

"Just what the hell are you doing? I thought you were my friend!" Lucky yelled at him when she got him away from the door.

"What are you talking about?" Ambrose said in surprise.

"Dale just told me you were planning on going to the Spectral Ball with Winnie Brim, that's what!" she said.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I was going to tell you about that before you went to Potions this morning," Ambrose said uncomfortably. "Look, you are my friend, Lucky, my best friend. But Winnie is my friend too and she's closer to my age…"

"That never mattered to me!" Lucky shouted at him. "When everybody else was complainin' that you even got in school, and all that last year with them riggin' our tests and stuff, I never blamed your age or anythin'. So what, now you're turning your back on me because now you got younger friends around you think are better than me?"

"No! No, it's not like that, Lucky! I just thought…I just thought maybe I was in the way of you and Dale, that's all…"

"You what?" Lucky said, staring at him aghast. "Who do you think you are, tryin' to think for me? It was fine the way things were! Man, I don't believe it. I thought I could at least trust you. Guess I was wrong again," she said, storming off to class. Ambrose stood there numbly, feeling his eyes burn. He really had been hoping that he was doing the right thing.

* * *

By Wednesday, Boulderdash had made his way to Severus' office, and although most of the data he had, of course, revolved around Clemmons connections to the Platts, there were a few tidbits about old research they had found on one of his sons after his 'mysterious' suicide-by-dagger that had Severus wondering. But by that point, however, Severus' time was limited; there were still issues in security and guest lists and such to review for the dance and upcoming Slytherin-Ravenclaw game. He decided to send an Owl to Thomas to see if he was free for lunch on Halloween, knowing full well by then all the details he had to deal with now would be well in place by then, and he certainly didn't want to bug Coffers with staying on a weekend when he only had a handful of items to look up.

Severus left as soon as he had finished with Danny, signing off on the last of the equipment vouchers. He then went off to the Ministry, glancing at his watch and taking long strides down the hall, but with no intentions of attempting to beat the clock. Everyone knew where he was going just by the pace in his stride, but none of them commented except for an occasional dubious glance at their own watches as he walked down the corridors.

As he turned the corner he suddenly hesitated, for he was able to immediately identify the woman walking towards him. Deciding that ignoring her was the best option, Severus got far to the right as he strode down the corridor, planning to pass her without comment.

"Why, it's Headmaster Snape! So you can actually walk down a hallway without crashing into a witch!" Samira declared with amusement as he passed by. "And here I thought you had been trying to pick me up or something." Severus whirled around with fury in his eyes.

"How dare you even suggest such a thing? Who in the hell do you think you are?" he snapped ferociously, but she took it quite calmly, blinking at him in astonishment.

"What? Do you mean to take that as an insult? There's no need to get defensive. I was simply joking," she said with such obvious amusement that it infuriated him even more.

"Toying. You were toying with me, and I have had my fill of it! I'll have you know I'm a happily married man, to a very renowned and rather dangerous dark witch, might I add…"

"Is that your way of saying you're going to tell on me?" she taunted him, ignoring his snarl. "Besides, I'm the one that ought to be insulted, not you, considering apparently you didn't crash into me purpose, but we all have our faults. Now, I must get going. I really have a lot of work to do, and the sooner I get it done the sooner I can go home and get out of your hair, since I seem to be in it for some reason. Enjoy your life! Ta-ta," she said, turning towards the door lifts. Severus stood there fuming with his fists clenched, watching her until she finally disappeared through the door. Suddenly remembering why he was there in the first place, Severus stomped down the corridor towards Thomas' office.

Everyone hanging around of the front of the office glanced up in surprise as he came in, suddenly looking at the clock to see he was running five minutes behind and quickly decided to disperse before Severus knocked on the door. The door whipped open and Thomas peered out, glaring at him fiercely.

"You're late!" Thomas declared.

"Yes, if you must know, I had yet another disagreeable encounter with that vile creature from downstairs," Severus snapped, walking in.

"Oh? What did Plumeria Prune do this time?" Thomas asked, his temper quickly overrun by his curiosity.

"Not that one, the other one. Miss Holier-than-thou International Artifacts," Severus snarled. Thomas thought about it a moment.

"Oh, you mean Lamya? Yes, she's a manipulative little witch, isn't she? In fact from what I've heard she's gotten the entire Artifacts department dithering on her every whim, even Coffers," Thomas snorted unconcernedly, grabbing his cloak.

"I'm surprised that Coffers would fall for that sort of type of Veela ploy," Severus said irritably, but Thomas turned and blinked at him.

"Veela? Whatever makes you think that?" Thomas asked, Severus simply meeting his gaze with a frown. "Granted, she does kick up her skirts when it gives her an advantage, but I guarantee there's no Veela blood there. I can spot them a mile away now…Fleur can spot them two miles away. Does seem to have some dark fae breeding if her eye color is any indication, but she's nothing. And considering she'll be out of here as soon as she tracks down the information she's looking for, she'll be out of your hair in no time."

"Out of my hair? What makes you think she was even in my hair?" Severus snapped, and Thomas stared at him strangely.

"You're the one that came in here huffing and puffing complaining about her. Just what exactly did she say to you to get you this worked up?" Thomas asked.

"Let's just go to lunch," Severus said irritably, opening the door again. "I have some information to get you caught up on concerning the ring."

"Well, hopefully, it'll be more informative than this last conversation," Thomas grunted, eyeing Severus warily as they left.

After a brief lunch, the two went back to the Ministry, and Severus reluctantly headed down to the Artifacts department, attempting to steel himself for anything before he even went in. Much to his relief, the woman seemed to be nowhere in the area when he got there, and it was Minister Coffers himself who smiled and stood when he walked in.

"Ah, Professor Snape! How is the research going?" he asked.

"Coming along a bit at a time…I'm sure you know how that goes," Severus said, taking out a paper, while Coffers nodded in understanding. "Actually, I have been in contact with some goblin sources looking for some tips on what they knew about the Wandsmith in question and stumbled on a list of sound related devices and items in that time period that may or may not have been attributed to Clemmons."

"Ah, I see," Coffers said, glancing at them. "Yes, I recognize the name of one or two of them, and I see why Mallus might be interested in them…looking for owner's names?"

"Yes, but more importantly particulars on what each one does," Severus said.

"Come with me, let me see what I can dig up," Coffers said, leading Severus into a small records vault, barely larger than a closet but quite tall; in fact, Severus couldn't make out where the ceiling was or even how high the boxes of files went. But in each section, Severus noticed one empty square "Fifteenth Century, Cursed Items or Sonic Items or Cursed Instruments," he said clearly. There was a small tremor as the boxes started shifting around on their own, sliding into the empty square so another row could fall down one or up one or over one until finally they all settled again. But Severus wasn't truly paying much attention to the file movement at all; he was instead gazing thoughtfully at the Minister.

"Cursed Instruments?" Severus repeated, wondering why he hadn't thought of it before.

"Oh, well, I hope you don't mind the whim, but I thought we might look for anyone attempting to combine cursed and sonic items, and the most logical way of doing that is through an instrument…not that I think Clemmons was truly capable of making something like that. Don't get me wrong, he was a brilliant man when it came to cursing items, but instruments are unlikely at best," Coffers admitted.

"All the same, I don't think you're wrong in that I ought to be studying them," Severus agreed, watching as Coffers began digging through the files, but then he paused, glancing between a couple with a frown.

"Hm, that's odd, there's a missing file here," Coffers said looking thoughtful a moment, but then his expression changed. "Oh, I know, I bet Miss Lamya has it," he said, Severus staring at him in disbelief. "It's the cursed instruments file that's missing, you see. Let me track down those other two."

"Exactly what is it that she is researching?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"Magic artifacts owned by the Minnesingers," Coffers said, pulling out another file box. "You know, minstrel knights from medieval Germany, some of wizardkind that were quite famous in their day, always spouting tragic love stories…many of them had charmed instruments, most of which geared towards inspiring emotion in their audiences, of course…being that they wandered, many of their items got lost over time…rather fascinating, really." he explained, pulling out a couple of files but noting the annoyed frown on Severus' face. "She's gone to lunch, but I'm sure if you hang around for a bit we can talk her out of that other file."

"Thank you no, if it's all the same I would prefer to wait until she's done with it," Severus said briskly. "As it is, I need to get back to the castle shortly to prepare for Halloween festivities for the evening."

"Let me go through these real quick and make copies of what you need then," Coffers offered with a cordial smile, the two of them stepping back out.

Severus turned around so he could keep an eye on the office door as he waited for Coffers sift and copy, very much expecting the woman to walk in at any point. He furrowed his brows, not liking this one bit at all. What sort of odds would there be out of all those files the two of them needing the same one? Certainly that couldn't be some sort of coincidence, especially with all that baiting she was doing. It was intentional, he was sure of it, but how could she possibly know? Who could she be working for? Perhaps she wasn't even a legitimate envoy…Coffers handed him the copies with a strange smile, and Severus realized that his baffled expression must have been showing.

"Thank you for all your assistance, Minister," Severus said quickly.

"Of course, Professor Snape. I hope it helps. Shall I send you an Owl when she is done with that other file?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you, only…don't be too obvious," Severus said before he walked out, while Coffers stared after him even more confused than he had been before. But Severus' mind was too busy puzzling over tangents to have noticed. In fact, he even passed by Aurelius' office without even noticing that his son was standing at the door, boring his eyes into his father's distracted appearance and the extreme intensity of his emotion and wondering why he wasn't able to read a single thought.

* * *

Jennifer threw down her books and papers and let out a long sigh, stepping in from her sitting room over to Severus' sitting room to see if he had started getting ready yet. With surprise, she found him already dressed for the evening and was sitting with his spectacles on and buried in the files that Coffers had handed him.

"Oh, good, you're here, Severus. You wouldn't believe how interminably long today has seemed! If only it weren't Halloween! I myself wouldn't mind putting my feet up after today, it was so hard to keep the students minds on their labs!" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Yes, I can't say that I blame you," Severus said evenly, not looking up.

"Find anything interesting today?" she asked, gazing at him thoughtfully from the doorway.

"I hardly had time to get the files I wanted before I needed to get back here, but as you can see, I'm going over them now," he said distractedly.

"So I see," Jennifer said thoughtfully, glancing at her watch knowing she should be getting ready. "You know, maybe we're going about this the wrong way, Severus. Maybe instead of researching Clemmons other items for clues, we should be concentrating on whatever it is that Mallus was looking for. Considering we were able to use a whistle to make it go off, maybe it's an instrument of some sort?" she wondered. Severus glanced up warily, but she waved off the idea with a chuckle. "You know, now that I think of it, that's probably not it at all."

"Why do you say that?" Severus asked quickly.

"Well, because obviously not everyone would be able to hear it," Jennifer said, Severus staring at her thoughtfully. "Instruments are normally meant to be heard, after all," she pointed out, going into the next room. Severus put down his work for a moment, feeling quite foolish for getting himself so worked up earlier when he realized Jennifer had a very valid point. Perhaps he had been jumping to a lot of conclusions about that woman's involvement in all of this? Still, he also wouldn't want to completely rule it out, either. The only thing that might prove it one way or the other was finding out what the item was that was causing it to go off.

"Perhaps you are right, Jennifer," Severus said from his sitting room, while Jennifer dug through her dresses. She had already eliminated all but three with countless buttons, hoping that she might be able to entice him out of the work binge he'd been on lately. "Still, we shouldn't rule it out completely just yet. The next afternoon I have free, I'll go down there and try to get some information on any cursed or charmed instruments that might have been made at that time." Jennifer sighed softly.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go down there and take care of it, Severus? I know how busy you've been, especially with having to deal with the board on this football thing and all…"

"No, I have it, Jennifer," Severus said quickly. "The Artifacts office is downstairs as well, and it'd probably take me longer to show you everything I have been through and haven't been through yet than it would be to go down there again." Jennifer thought about it as she changed, then came back over to the doorway.

"All right, Severus, you have a point. But I do feel awfully guilty for you getting so involved in this when I know full well you didn't want anything to do with it in the first place," Jennifer admitted.

"Yes, well, so what else is new," Severus said dryly, gazing up at her apologetic smile. "It's all right, Jennifer. But shouldn't you be getting downstairs? The band should be here at any time, you know."

"Yes, I suppose I should," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "How do I look?"

"As lovely as ever," he said after a cursory glance, looking down at the papers again. Jennifer nodded slightly and went to grab her wrap, trying not to feel too disappointed with that. He had said less about her appearance before on occasions like this, she reminded herself as she gazed long into her vanity mirror and twisted her Night Shroud into a wrap. She did, after all, get a little obsessive about it. And yet a part of her ached to see in his mind long enough to know if he had meant it or simply said it to placate her; because for some reason it sounded much more to be the latter.

It wasn't until Jennifer had gotten halfway to the Great Hall that she realized she had forgotten to mention to him the situation with Lucky. It was obvious that she had a falling out with several of her friends during the week; not the least of which with Ambrose. They had always been so close before, and from what she read from Ambrose, their age difference had definitely played apart in that, as well as Dale's attempts to get close to her. It wasn't very shocking then that Lucky opted to go with no one at all, although Jennifer was more than a bit surprised that when they began to let the students into the hall that Lucky had latched on to Lyra for the evening. The two of them stood together along the back wall near the door with their arms folded and looking at the rest of crowd critically. It was quite curious how alike the girl and the girl centaur looked in that moment, but it didn't take Jennifer more than a glance to figure out why; both of them considered themselves outsiders looking in, and apparently neither one of them were too impressed at the moment.

The ghosts began to arrive en masse to find their partners, and Jennifer smiled softly to see Pimra had managed to secure a place by Janus Craw while Laura seemed to be in a casual discussion with Icarus and Aurora, whom it seemed came together, Jennifer noted, wondering a bit at that. It was then that she saw Andrew sitting to one side with Taylor and Danny, managing to coax little Gloria on his lap for a moment. Jennifer chuckled softly to herself and wandered towards them. The moment Andrew saw her coming, he quickly handed Gloria off to Danny, not liking the enigmatic smile on his mother's face at all.

"Good evening, Taylor! Good evening, Gloria! My, don't we look cute tonight!" Jennifer grinned, the pumpkin costumed girl immediately holding her arms out to her, wanting to be picked up. Jennifer picked her up for a moment, the girl starting to "muh-muh-muh!" at her again.

"She calls everyone Mum and Dad at the moment," Danny said sheepishly.

"Oh, they all do that! Well, except mine, they all said 'nanna'," Jennifer said with a soft laugh, but Andrew smiled and shook his head a bit when he saw his mother was still a little bothered by that. "So how's the new family adjusting?"

"It's just nice to have a family," Danny admitted with a smile, taking Gloria back.

"Yes, it is," Taylor said with a nod, straightening his daughter's hat. "Amazing how many people take it for granted…having kids in general, I mean," he explained, Jennifer nodding thoughtfully at that. "It's funny, though…I mean, we seemed to be getting on okay before her, but in the short few months since we've gotten Gloria…I just can't seem to see a life without her."

"That goes double for me," Danny said with a smile, hugging the baby warmly and earning one in return. "One thing is certain, and that is Gloria is going to have a very safe and happy home to grow up in…something else too many people take for granted."

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," Jennifer said with a knowing smile, nodding to them. She then joined Andrew who had already been edging away from them, gazing warily at his mother when she came over.

"I hope that wasn't supposed to be directed at me in any way," he said as they walked away, Jennifer's smile turning enigmatic again.

"No, Andrew, they were talking about themselves, I'm sure of that. Although I must say, it's obvious that Gloria has had an impact on you as well, Andrew. A very positive one," Jennifer said, Andrew giving her a dirty look.

"Yes, well, please don't get your hopes up that I'm every going to settle down, Mum," Andrew murmured to her knowingly. "Just because I haven't taken a Scythe yet doesn't mean I don't plan to in the future. But Father thought I should keep my options open just in case I change my mind some day, and I suppose I came to agree with him. What's so funny?" he asked in irritation when he noticed her chuckling softly.

"Andrew, you do realize the real reason why he is hoping you have children someday, don't you?" Jennifer said in a low voice.

"I just told you the reason, actually. You know as well as I do that he feels he has too many grandchildren as it is," Andrew whispered back.

"Yes, he does gripe on occasion to everyone about the number, doesn't he?" Jennifer murmured with an enigmatic smile. "Six grandchildren and another on the way…perhaps even another if Francis' therapy works, which would put us up to eight, wouldn't it? And not one of them will be born a Snape." Andrew suddenly turned and stared at her, but she had the same fixed smile on her face. "And considering your brother's celibacy and your own resolve on the particular issue…I can see how he might have reason to be a little worried, can't you?" Andrew began to hit himself in the head. "Have a nice dance. I'm going to go check on the band and have a chat with Myrine. I haven't seen her in awhile," she said, wandering over to find Dale's mother.

* * *

"So which one is she?" Ricky murmured from where they stood at the back door of the Great Hall. Myrine had told him to wait in the staff room, but the boys knew once they started playing they wouldn't have time to really look around. The tour of the castle had been amazing; even if Dale seemed a little more than perturbed when Kid and Tango began referring to it as 'Dale's haunted house.'

"Over there by the centaur," Dale murmured back.

"Open the door a bit more, all I see is a horse's ass," Julian said. Kid and Tango snickered.

"'Ey, kids! Come on, get back in here where you belong," sighed one of the backup guitarists, a bit exasperated. He paused to give a wary gaze to Sir Nicholas, who tipped his head to them before floating down the corridor and through the wall. "You're supposed to be waiting in here. Come'n warm up!"

"In a second!" Rick said in annoyance as the two of them moved to greet another student. "There now I see her…yeah, I guess she's kinda cute, Dale, but why does she look so pissed?"

"Long story," Dale said. "Although really, she's always mad at me. Lately I've been her regular punching bag."

"I always knew you were the masochist type," Tango teased him.

"You have to be to survive in this business," Dale chuckled.

"Last warnin' boys, if you don't get in 'ere, I'm gonna fetch Myrine," the guitarist warned with a sigh.

"We'd better get back in there. If there's one thing I learned over the summer, it's that no one is scarier than your mom when she's in a mood," Kid said.

"Oh, I can think of someone," Dale said, smiling wanly and waving at where the Headmaster was standing with his arms folded and squinting at them. The rest of the boys jumped at the sight of him, blinking in surprise for no one had heard him step up behind them. "Second Chance, meet Headmaster Snape. Headmaster, my band."

"Band of what?" Severus asked expressionlessly, the other boys exchanging glances with each other while Severus pointed at the staff room door. "In."

"Yes, sir," Dale said quickly and hurried over to the other door, the rest of the other teens following closely behind while looking over their shoulders warily at him.

Shaking his head, Severus slipped into the Great Hall. He glanced around briefly and saw where Lucky, Lyra and Helena were talking, wondering where Ambrose was. He then spotted Myrine and Jennifer and was about to go over when he heard his name called and saw Sirius and Anna walking over.

"You had to bring him, didn't you," Severus said to his sister.

"I'm here to see Lindsay. Why else would I be willing to put up with you," Sirius grinned.

"Yes, I believe she has a ghost for the evening. It seems that the order has decided to go their own ways somewhat tonight," Severus mused, finally spotting where Ambrose was sitting, looking quite glum while Winnie and Veronica were trying to cheer him up.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that after Lucky started getting testy in my class yesterday," Anna said, Severus gazing at her curiously. "At first I thought it was just that late night Astrology course catching up with her, but apparently Ambrose has decided to try to apply his 'help your friends help themselves' goal and it backfired. He thought maybe if he hung around someone else tonight it might…well, fix things between her and someone else." Severus rolled his eyes.

"Someone's interested in Lucky already?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Since last year. Dale Chance," Anna explained, Severus looking more annoyed by the second.

"Wait, I thought that was the boy Lindsay liked," Sirius frowned.

"Yeah, she couldn't get him to budge so she's been hanging out with his best friend now," Anna said.

"Boy, that sounds familiar for some reason," Sirius said dryly, while Severus tapped his fingers against his arm irritably. "Why isn't Lucky interested?"

"Maybe because she's only thirteen?" Severus said curtly.

"Oh, Severus, you know the real reason better than anyone. Personally, I hate to see her and Ambrose fighting though considering how good he's been for her," Anna said.

"Well, then why is it that she looks perfectly content when he looks downright miserable despite the fact it was his idea not to hang around with her in the first place?" Sirius asked.

"Typical male response, what else? Men are never happy with what they have, they always think there's something better out there," Anna teased.

"Just what exactly do you mean by that?" Severus asked out of the blue. Sirius, who was about to give her a taunting comment in return, gazed at Severus quizzically. Anna did the same.

"Only that Ambrose needs to learn to how to be happy with his own decisions, what else?" Anna said with a shrug. "Is something wrong?"

"Only that it seems you're wasting a lot of time gossiping over student concerns when I'm sure there must be something else to talk about…football tryouts or something, anything is better than school gossip," Severus said.

"Well, I suppose I can see your point in that, Severus, but one of the main reasons I like to come to these little gatherings is to see for myself who Lindsay is hanging with and why, because even with Anna filling me in every night, it's not the same as actually seeing her interact with them," Sirius explained. "And as much as I actually do have an interest in what schemes the school is plotting against the board this year and what projects are coming up and what education standards you're improving on and all that other administrative dribble that normally comes out of your mouth, none of that means a damn thing if the needs of the students aren't met first, mental as well as educational. You of all people know that by now."

"And since you obviously know I know it, why are bothering saying anything at all?" Severus sighed at him critically, but Sirius simply gazed at him seriously.

"I don't know," Sirius admitted. "It just felt like you needed to be reminded of that for some reason." Severus gave him a dirty look.

"Any ideas on where Zack is?" Anna said, realizing that any further conversation would be nothing short of disastrous.

"Kitchen, more than likely, where else?" Severus said. "I need a word with Myrine to see when they plan to get that band up," he said then walked towards the stage. Anna and Sirius exchanged glances before Sirius wandered over to see Lindsay and Anna wandered back to the kitchens.

"There you are, Severus," Jennifer said, smiling warmly at him from where she and Myrine leaned on the stage.

"And just what have you been up to?" Severus asked, nodding politely to Myrine.

"Talking about Lucky and Dale, what else?" Jennifer said. Severus let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, you should probably put the student gossip on hold for now. I believe your band is getting a bit on the restless side, Myrine. I caught the boys sticking their noses in the back door a few moments ago," Severus complained. Myrine chuckled.

"I'm not surprised. He's been talking about her so much that the others have been wanting to see what she looks like, and he doesn't have a picture of her," Myrine explained.

"Hm, well I'll have to come up with some clever way to remedy that without her knowing I had anything to do with it," Jennifer mused. Severus rolled his eyes.

"I don't suppose you'd both be willing to leave them to work all this out on their own?" Severus suggested. Jennifer and Myrine exchanged dubious glances.

"No, not really, no," Jennifer said with Myrine shaking her head along with her.

"Anyhow, I should go get those boys out here. We'll talk later, Jennifer," she promised with a wave. Jennifer smiled at her and waved back, well aware that Severus was standing behind her and shaking his head.

"Come on, Jennifer, let's go greet those we're obligated to greet and go find somewhere quiet to stand for the rest of the evening," Severus suggested, taking her arm.

"Now why do I have a feeling that's going to be easier said than done," Jennifer chuckled at him as he led them around the room. "Don't worry, I made sure the musicians are going to play calmer music in between the boys' sets." But Severus had a hard time concentrating, going over the last few weeks in his mind as it gnawed on him, finding his mind still dwelling on Sirius' words as they paused to see the backup band set up.

"Jennifer, do you think I've been putting my own affairs above the students lately?" Severus asked suddenly, and she turned and gaped at him in surprise.

"Of course not, Severus, how could you even ask such a thing?" Jennifer wondered.

"Oh, Sirius was getting on me after I made a comment about he and Anna gossiping about students," Severus muttered. Jennifer stared at him, even more surprised than before.

"Why, Severus! Since when do you ever let anything Sirius says bug you?" Jennifer exclaimed, wondering about his glum and tired expression. "With all the work you've done with the Order of the Owl and helping Anna get this football thing going, he has some nerve to even suggest it, especially considering just how much Lindsay herself has benefited from some of the changes to the order this year, not to mention going to bat for Lyra and making sure she got what she needed to do well here." Severus thought about it, studying her loving gaze a moment before nodding.

"You're right, I shouldn't have let it get to me. He was out of line," Severus said.

"I'm quite sure of it," Jennifer agreed, holding onto his arm.

Just then, the band began to play after some unseen cue and the five boys came out, getting a smattering of applause with the only enthusiasm coming a number of Muggleborns who had heard them over the summer. The music was upbeat, and definitely loud, Jennifer had to admit, half tempted to try some sort of muffling spell to temper it. The five boys seemed to have very nice voices and apparently had dance routines to go with them as the band in the back played to give them the freedom to do so. Jennifer and Severus glanced at each other mystified, but then looked back to see that they seemed to be gaining some rapidly growing appreciation among the students who began to crowd the stage, and only Lyra and Lucky, still standing in the back, looked completely nonplussed. Among the students, Severus squinted as he saw Sally Scribe down there acting like one of the kids, whooping and hollering practically louder than the rest of them when the first of their songs came to an end.

It was then that he noticed Hermione, Ron, Danny and Taylor all in the fray, blinking in surprise to see that Andrew had been the one who had opted to baby-sit so the rest of them could dance. In fact, except for Andrew, nearly every one of the younger Professors were out there now, along with Francis and Alicia, who as usual snuck in unannounced. He squinted when Dale stopped long enough to mention that two of the songs they were going to play, 'Under the Veil' and 'Favor the Bold' were ones he had written for their next album, his eyes darting towards his daughter with a frown wondering if she would have gotten either reference to her real name. But Jennifer obviously had, chuckling and shaking her head knowingly.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Jennifer said, watching Lucky wistfully while Severus was busy gazing at his staff, feeling a bit strange of how clearly he remembered so many of them in the classroom. He then glanced at his wife, looking younger than almost all of them now, and then sighed as he looked back up and thought of how many of his students were now catching up to his apparent age. "Want a glass of punch or something?" Jennifer asked, and he looked down to see her watching him again, her gaze gentle and concerned but not even trying to get past the mental blocks surrounding him.

"Not really," he admitted. "To be perfectly honest, I'll be quite glad when this is over so I can get back to what I was doing." Jennifer blinked at him but then smiled.

"Well, I can't really blame you, can I, considering I wanted to do the same thing earlier," she admitted with a sigh. "But there is no way I am going to let you go anywhere without our dance, Severus Snape," she added in a quiet but flirtatious tone. "It's bad enough being ignored all night without you cutting out on that."

"And just how have I been ignoring you? You've been at my side since practically the moment I came in," Severus said. Jennifer's hand went to her back thoughtfully.

"Yes that's true but you seem to be elsewhere tonight," Jennifer admitted. "I may not be able to read you, but I can at least tell that." It was another minute or two before it registered what she had said and he looked over at her thoughtfully. He couldn't remember the last time she had even commented on it like that, and wondered that she hadn't really been nagging him much about it. But before he could formulate a question to ask why without giving her the wrong impression, a roar of applause keyed them in that the set was over, and as the band came off the other students were chattering excitedly among each other about how good they were.

"I don't care what Mum says, I think I want to see about getting a copy of the Muggle album until their wizard version comes out," Lucky heard one of the Slytherin students say. "But seriously, who ever heard of the Muggle recording coming out before ours? And we have to wait a full year after it?"

"Well there is more market on the Muggle side, after all, they do outnumber us," Dirk pointed out. He nodded to Lucky and Lyra as they walked by, but made no comment to them.

"All the same, I still think we ought to corner Dale and get him to release the Wizard version first from now on. You have connections now, Dirk, why don't you try it?" the student Lucky didn't know asked as they walked out of hearing range. Lucky let out a growl and Lyra gazed at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" Lyra asked.

"Nuthin', I've just had about enough of this whole dance thing is all," Lucky said.

"I admit, it does all seem quite silly," Lyra replied, watching as Connie tried her hand at ghost dancing with Sir Nicholas when a pair of the band members stayed to play some more traditional music. "The ghosts do seem to be having a good time, though."

"You wanna go back to the rooms or somethin'? There's gotta be somethin' more fun to do than this," Lucky said.

"Okay, but I need to go outside for a few minutes first," Lyra admitted.

"We'd better go now then before it gets too late," Lucky said, but Lyra suddenly became distracted.

"Oh, look! It's the Headmaster!" Lyra exclaimed with surprise as Jennifer and Severus finally stepped onto the dance floor.

"Yeah…I've seen it before. Besides, they'll be too distracted to notice us leave now. Come on," Lucky said, slipping out the front doors.

Sure enough, neither Jennifer nor Severus noticed when the two Gryffindors slipped out as they walked out into the center of the floor, momentarily cleared by the other bands' exit. It suited Jennifer just fine that not many were dancing, not that she truly ever noticed once they got out there. In fact, it had always been the promise that at least once during these events she could get out and dance with Severus that had her insisting that they keep the tradition up every year, despite the dwindling interest now and again among staff who didn't feel like running it. When that happened, Jennifer would always volunteer, for it was the one time she felt she could safely publicly show everyone her adoration in her husband, as well as have a moment to relive so many pivotal moments on the dance floor; from the first time, to the dance lessons, to their marriage, and the countless memories of the years in between. His dance style…both stiff and catlike at the same time…was as perfect to her as always, but as she sought a familiar glance in his eyes, she faltered, for it didn't seem to be there. Yes, he was looking at her, but something seemed missing…then again, there really wasn't ever a time they had danced like this when his mind hadn't been completely open to her. Putting her hand on his arm a moment so she could glance at the pale, blue-grey color barely visible in the ring, she gazed at him searchingly despite still moving with him in time.

"Severus, what are you thinking of?" she murmured softly. His eyes seemed to sharpen a bit, focusing in on her thoughtfully, gazing at the sincerity in her eyes. It was a question she really had never had to ask him before. He didn't even remember her even asking as Jackie, when her own mind had been quieted with potions.

"Nothing too important, Jennifer, just work, mostly," he admitted softly, wondering at the quick frown on her face. "After all, we have a long week ahead of us with football and Quidditch and all, and honestly I was also wondering how I was going to get in more research…what with another board meeting coming up and everything else going on…why, is there something wrong?" he asked as she suddenly stopped dancing and broke away, staring at him with such a strange look on her face that he wondered what he done wrong. "That is what I was thinking of," he reassured her, pondering if she thought that he had lied to her for some reason.

But Jennifer did believe him. And she was just as certain that he had no idea at all that anything was wrong. But for all the many years they had been married…no matter what obstacles had come between them, from Voldemort to Malfoy to Ciardoth to the day-to-day trials and tribulations of being parents and having careers and all the problems that went with it…none of it had ever come between them on the dance floor before. From the very first time they danced, even as bad as she was at it, his eyes had never left hers…his thoughts had never left hers…not for a single instant. The estrangement itself they had lately she had tolerated, not to mention the Occlumency, hoping that it would give him the time he needed to sort things out. It was hardly the only time in their marriage they had gotten these little bumps; even the best of marriages needed a bit of unrest now and again as they changed, working out new quirks that each other developed although admittedly some of it settled after a few too many nights on the couch. But never had it interfered on this level before. Never had it come to this. Jennifer stared at his worried face and then smiled weakly at him.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I suppose I just don't feel like dancing tonight, that's all," Jennifer said softly, and his gaze gentled.

"You must be as tired as I am tonight. Perhaps I ought to get us some drinks," he offered.

"Just remember to check the ladle," she joked softly…an old joke, to be sure, but hopefully it put him more at ease.

But the moment he nodded to her and walked over towards the table, a look of complete devastation flashed across her face so filled with open grief that the curtain of tension Danyelle had noticed before came crashing down again. And as brief as the look was, not a single student or staff member in the room at that moment had missed it…no one except Severus Snape himself.


	20. Strained Relationships

Chapter Twenty

Strained Relationships

Lucky put her hands in her pockets, wishing she had thought to bring out a coat with her as they walked out into the clear cold evening.

"I'll just be a minute," Lyra promised as she slipped into the woods behind the hut.

"Okay. Maybe I'll look for somethin' interestin' for my Astrology homework then," Lucky said. She took a few steps away from the hut so she could see the sky, trying to get an angle that subdued the light coming from the castle as she gazed upwards thoughtfully. There were a great many stars that made it hard to pick out any of the minor constellations without a pointer, but at the least she could see Ursa Minor, Major, and Draco, and wondered if she some conclusion could be made out of that.

Lyra came back out and smiled when she saw what she was doing, looking up herself.

"Anything interesting? I know someone whose Reading Day was today," Lyra said, walking over beside her and gazing up thoughtfully.

"What's a Reading Day?"

"It's what you call a birthday. Every year after a centaur is born, they have their stars read on that night." Lucky gazed at Lyra dubiously, but she was lost in thought as she gazed upwards.

"Don't centaurs look at the stars every night?" Lucky said.

"Oh, well, yes, but usually about the world in general and about one's own personal lives…the constellation as a whole tends to take a moment to look at the sky on one's Reading Day to see what their destiny lies…it's like, well, sort of like paying one's respects, I suppose," Lyra said, taking a step up. "Do you see that group of stars to the west?"

"Oh..um…Hercules?" Lucky pondered, trying to gage where she was pointing.

"Just to the left…the brighter star, there, that's Vega."

"Oh yeah…I almost figured it was a planet or somethin'," Lucky admitted with a chuckle.

"It is one of the brighter stars. My mother was named after it. And those three stars are the constellation of Lyra, which I was named after. My brother Amphion was named after a ruler of Thebes, who was known to play the lyre, and he was a twin too, only it was another boy. Father always likes to make connections like that, he's the one that named us."

"So it's almost like you have two constellations then, huh?" Lucky said thoughtfully, looking at Vega again.

"Yes, and in two different quadrants. Gemini is far to the east, not quite over the horizon yet. Some of the elders believe that on certain occasions, this constellation represents me personally, especially on nights like tonight," Lyra said, rubbing her own shoulders thoughtfully.

"Why is that?" Lucky asked curiously.

"Well, the other centaur I mentioned was born this time of night, and right now it's Lyra that rules the western sky," Lyra explained.

Lucky looked up thoughtfully again. It was true that the constellation seemed centered along with the swan now, and although she knew from her class that Sirius was the brightest, Vega definitely dominated the sky in that moment. Just then a shooting star passed through the constellation, and Lucky blinked, wondering if she imagined it and glanced over to Lyra to see if she had noticed it as well. But Lyra wasn't looking at the sky at all. Instead she was standing perfectly still with her eyes fixed on the forest. Warily Lucky turned as well, cautiously feeling for her wand as she heard a rustle in the brush. A second later she found herself blinking in surprise as a young stallion centaur took a few steps out so he could be clearly seen.

"What are you doing here?" Lyra hissed at him. "Shouldn't you be in the constellation tonight of all nights?"

"I have had my reading," Hermius said evenly. "And if you have seen the stars at all tonight, you knew I would be here." Lyra sighed, glancing at Lucky who was watching him curiously before turning back towards him.

"You really should be back with the others."

"And you are supposed to be in the castle by now, are you not?" Hermius asked.

"Yes, and I think I will be going back to it now. And you should be going home," Lyra scolded him. But Hermius didn't seem to mind being scolded. In fact, it seemed to amuse him. He glanced at the stars briefly then looked back at her again.

"I will wait," he said calmly.

"Expect a very long wait then," Lyra said primly. "Come on, Lucky, let's go back in."

Lucky walked beside her, glancing over her shoulder now and again to see the centaur still standing there, watching them, while Lyra made a point not to look back at all.

"So that was your friend with the Reading Day, right?" Lucky said cautiously after they had gotten some distance away.

"He's not a friend, exactly," Lyra said testily, but then calmed herself. "We don't have friends among the males. In fact, once we get of a certain age, we aren't supposed to even talk to them except for our father and our stargazer, and sometimes elders if they speak to us directly first."

"Stargazer? You mean Ronan, right?" Lucky asked.

"Well, he is the Stargazer of our constellation, yes, just like his Star, Peregrine, is the mother of our people, but it's also a term applied to mated centaurs in general when it's not used in a title. Just like you have husband and wife, ours are called stargazers and stars. We don't go through any ceremony for that either, really…and there's no reason. Centaurs always mate for life," Lyra explained.

"Oh, I get it. So Hermius is waiting for you to go into uh…"

"Yeah, pretty much," Lyra said sheepishly.

"Did you tell him about the potion thing?" Lucky asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Lyra said with a sigh. "But he didn't really believe me. I'm not sure he'd understand it, really," she admitted. "Lucky, could you please not tell anyone? I mean, about Hermius coming to see me. Because if Father found out…"

"No problem, I get it," Lucky reassured her. "If I were in your horseshoes, I wouldn't want him to find out about it either," she admitted with a chuckle.

"Thanks, Lucky," Lyra beamed at her, cheerfully walking back to their rooms and saying goodnight to the girl before pushing her way into her room. She tore off her robes the moment she locked the door, relieved to finally be free of it for the evening. She then walked up to the table with the rack of phials thoughtfully, gazing at the full bottles for a moment before dumping them in the wastebasket.

* * *

Using the excuse that she wanted to check up on Lucky, Jennifer managed to get away from the Great Hall before the second music set started, wandering towards the front. But as she turned for the main stairs and got out her watch, Lucky's hand had already swung from Sagittari's Hut to Houserooms. Jennifer relaxed a bit. Well, she could hardly blame them for not wanting to stay any more than she did. Jennifer bit back another wave of grief, steadying herself before she turned down the corridor to walk to her office.

One of the windows was open in the Potion Lab, and she could clearly hear the music from the Great Hall. Actually, it sounded a lot better from down there, Jennifer noted with a faint smile before she murmured her password and slipped into the office, hoping that the item she had been working on had set correctly. She went over to where she had hidden it in one of her lab drawers, smiling softly when she saw it had come out the way she wanted and slipped it into a small gold box, tying it off with a black ribbon before sticking it in her pocket.

But as she turned to leave, her eyes fell upon her portrait of Severus, and another wave of grief hit her. The portrait must have noticed it, for he had put down his book and walked up to his frame with a look of deep concern on his face and a gaze more intent than she had seen on Severus' on face in a long time.

"Must you look at me like that? It's nothing to worry about," Jennifer said, the portrait's expression immediately turning dubious. Jennifer sighed. "Well, if you must know, your living self is to blame. If you only knew what he's been putting me through lately! In fact, I can read you better at this very moment than I have been able to read him for weeks now, believe it or not." The portrait frowned. "No, Aurelius doesn't have anything to do with it, he's just been practicing his mental blocks a lot since Alicia's wedding. He's been wanting his privacy a lot more lately." He sighed silently and gestured, sitting back on the stool. "Oh, of course, you heard that bit when Harry came to visit me, didn't you? So I suppose you know some of it at least. I just wish…no, really, Severus…I do wish that I knew some way to help him through this, or at least get him to remember that I'm still here." The portrait gazed at her. "No, I already tried that," Jennifer said, her hand going to her tightly buttoned dress. "Yes, I tried that as well, believe it or not!" she said with exasperation. The portrait looked thoughtful as if attempting to come up with something else. Jennifer shook her head. "Honestly, I just don't know what to do anymore except wait and hope he comes out of it. I just can't believe how bad he's gotten this time is all. And I can't believe I'm also actually standing here and trying to find solace in a painting! And a mute one at that!" she said with exasperation, the portrait's own face expressionless. "No offense intended of course," she added apologetically, but he immediately waved it off. "All I really want is for him to actually be happy with his life again. He hasn't been for a while, and I feel so helpless for not being able to do anything about it. I thought perhaps since…well…being near him didn't help, that giving him his space might help. But that seems only to have made him more distant. Now we're both miserable," Jennifer said, glancing at her ring. "Even the rings have been showing that things aren't right." Severus blinked at that, and then frowned. "You don't think us being at odds could cause that? Well, regardless of whatever theories you have on them, I assure you it is happening. And I've been thinking…well, perhaps he's just been…falling out of love with me." Severus got up in surprise and shook his head at her, gazing at her fervently. "Well, that's all good and fine for you to think that, Severus, you were painted at the time our love was at its strongest, as well as his happiness. Of course you're not going to believe it's possible," she sighed at him. "I should get upstairs. Sorry if I chatted your ears off. Why don't you go see what my portrait is doing?" she suggested. Severus grew thoughtful but then nodded to her, and Jennifer slipped out of the room. The look of concern faded into a look of determination as he stepped out of his painting.

Jennifer walked up the back stairs and straight into the Headmaster's Study, smiling softly when she saw the six candy boxes lined up on the desk. She felt the box in her hand thoughtfully, but decided to take the more personal approach and give it to him herself, even if she was a little intimidated by the idea of getting another lukewarm response. Letting out a deep sigh and reminding herself not to let her emotions get the best of her, she slipped behind the curtain and into his sitting room, the candles waving to life at her entrance.

It was then that her eyes went over to the corner where that portrait had been painted; with the low wooden bookshelf filled with his favorite books and some of his Holmes memorabilia, the small pedestal with the signed copy he kept under glass, and his stool and violin stand and music stand. She couldn't recall the last time he had been tempted to play it. Distractedly, she flipped through the music and brushed her hand against the violin deep in thought before running it along the glass case and the bookshelf behind it. She paused at his pipe carousel, touching the calabash pipe, his first, lost in the memory of when she had gotten it for him as Jackie. How long ago was that, she wondered as she thought about it. Fourteen years, and yet in that moment it seemed like yesterday…in fact, she felt a tingle of disbelief that it had been that long. The years seemed to pass by faster the older they got, despite their almost static state. Perhaps that was what was weighing on him the most, she mused, brushing her other hand against his old books, carefully categorized on the lower shelves, wondering how many times he had read each one. But then she happened to look up and notice a shadow in the candlelight and turned around in surprise, wondering how long that Severus had been standing there watching her.

In fact, he had been standing there quite a long time at the bedroom door, baffled at first as to what she was doing. Reminiscing, perhaps…her touch against the things around her was strangely gentle and loving, as if for some reason she was trying to comfort herself from their presence. Then she turned and looked at him, and she seemed to shrink back so timidly that he blinked, for timid was not something he had ever seen or ever expected from Jennifer.

"Something is troubling you," Severus murmured.

"Oh, no, I was just dusting," Jennifer improvised, brushing her hand against the bookshelf and trying to ignore the fact that Severus had raised both eyebrows at that.

"Very well, if that's all. I trust if there were something troubling you that you would tell me," Severus said quietly.

"It's…it's nothing Severus, I…I just miss you sometimes, that's all," Jennifer said.

Feeling her eyes tear up, Jennifer turned and tried to run into the next room as a wave a sudden guilt hit Severus full force and he pulled her into her arms, immediately disarmed when she burst into tears and buried his face in his chest.

"Please don't cry, Jennifer. Whatever I've done I'll make it up somehow, just don't carry on like this. I really can't bear it! At least tell me what I've done wrong so I can fix this. Is this about the Occlumency thing?" he asked, but she shook her head. "What then?"

"I just want you to be happy, Severus," Jennifer murmured. Another wave of guilt hit him and he let out a long heavy sigh, clutching her even tighter.

"You know, the entire point behind my putting up those blocks in the first place was to spare you from what my mind has been going through lately," Severus admitted softly.

"Anything that affects you affects me, Severus, whether you hide your thoughts or not," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps. But this isn't about you, you know…" Severus murmured.

"It wasn't so long ago that you told me that everything you did was because of me," Jennifer murmured back. Severus sighed again.

"Come on, Jennifer, enough of this, please," he pleaded, pulling her chin up and wiping off her tears, his expression loving and sincere and for a change intent on her and her alone. "Let's just spend some time together. Perhaps we can even steal some time between football and Quidditch for ourselves…take a walk in the forest like we used to…"

"We can't even if we wanted to," Jennifer reminded him.

"Oh, yes, the Lyra thing. Well, around the lake then. Perhaps some time on the parapets, because I swear since I put that door in your office it hasn't been used much except for ventilation," he said with exasperation, Jennifer nodding slowly in response. "Whatever it'll take to get you out of this mood. I can't stand to see you like this."

"Now perhaps you can imagine what it is that I've been going through," Jennifer murmured softly back. Severus stared at her openly.

"Well, no more of that. No more of that if I have anything to say about it, and right now I think it's time we shelve those concerns for awhile and just concentrate on spending a little time together. Now, why don't you slip out of that dress of yours and into something more comfortable while I feed the familiars and set up a tea or something so we can talk and go from there," he suggested, gazing at her intently. Jennifer nodded with a smile, relieved and grateful that he finally seemed to have his mind off work. Perhaps this would be a turning point for them, Jennifer thought wistfully as she slipped into the bedroom. But a moment later that brief hope was dashed completely when she reached back and realized that not a single button had been touched.

* * *

Severus wasn't quite sure exactly when he and Jennifer had dozed off; sometime after a second round of lovemaking when the two of them were still bantering and taunting each other and contemplating whether they had enough energy for anything else that night. But as tired as his body was, his mind was not yet ready to let go. His dreams quickly turned intimate; picking up where they had left off as he tried so desperately to wipe out all memory of that anguish in her eyes and replace it with that glow that she only got after they had spent the evening in each other's arms.

He had long known just how to get the reaction he wanted out of her, giving himself a certain amount of control over the situation; which, he had reasoned, was only fair, considering just how much control she had of him outside that room. She, in turn, had always seemed to enjoy his taking the lead, as if her passion for dancing with him was simply taken to a higher level; feeding off his thoughts and desires for her and in the process finding her own. So the fact that things quickly escalated in the confines of his dream didn't surprise him in the least, for he had expected it…controlled it…knew she would immediately respond to his insistences.

All of the sudden something changed, although at first he wasn't quite sure what it was. He found himself locked in a kiss; more insistent and demanding than he remembered it ever being and the escalation didn't seem to be of his own making anymore. Her movements were powerful and unfamiliar and extremely arousing in a way he had never felt before as she took the lead. In complete astonishment he broke of the kiss and saw dark hair across his face and found himself looking into a pair of unmistakable dark blue eyes.

Severus forced his eyes open, sweat pouring off of him as he awoke, but it suddenly turned cold and clammy as he realized that Jennifer was still wrapped lovingly around him still sleeping deeply with a soft smile across her lips. Gently but insistently he peeled her away, taking extra care not to wake her as he slipped down onto the floor. He sat up, hoping the dream would fade and be forgotten, despite the fact he was fairly sure it wouldn't be. Finally he got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face; and then when that didn't work, he took a shower to drown his guilt while reminding himself over and over again that there was absolutely no reason whatsoever for him to be guilty about a dream he couldn't control.

After all, he was only human. He had dreams of other women before; of course, they were always of the nameless variety or sometimes characters out of one of the books he read, or curious encounters with creatures designed to lure away men's attentions… fantasies, all fantasies. It was true that he had dreamed about Amanda and Lily before in the first few years he had known Jennifer; but both of those faded when he began putting his ghosts to rest, and neither had been alive at that point to torment him with the guilt he was experiencing now. They hadn't even been really interested even when they were alive, as this one seemed to be…Severus cut off his own thoughts. He did not even like the woman! She had insulted him from the very first! No, his dream was reacting only to the physical attraction he had experienced, and brutally so without any consideration to behavior or reason or love or commitment at all. That he had found himself thinking about those insults constantly over the course of the day probably hadn't helped the matter either, but it still burned him for anyone to so quickly discount him as nothing more than an 'old school teacher.' He growled softly and then caught himself, sighing and slipping on his bathrobe, staring glumly at himself in the mirror.

Finally he felt brave enough to crack open the door and peer out, gazing somberly at his wife half covered and sleeping quite peacefully, although having moved enough to take over both sides of the bed in his absence. In her slumber, the grief he had seen in her face earlier was completely gone, and that at least he could be content with. He glanced at the hour, knowing full well he wasn't likely to get back to sleep again. Inhaling deeply, he carefully slipped into his sitting room, turned over the coffee pot, and got dressed for the long day ahead, wondering if even his Occlumency attempts could hide from her how uncomfortable it was going to be for him to spend time with her that day.

But when Jennifer woke up, she was completely unsurprised to find him sitting at his desk in the office with a pot of coffee and one of the boxes of licorice cauldrons half emptied. She chuckled softly at him and shook her head before coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him lovingly.

"And here you are, at your desk buried in work again, I see," she chided him lightly.

"If I'm buried in anything, it's licorice," he said, earning another chuckle.

"You are going to go to football tryouts with me, right?" Jennifer asked, gazing at his desk skeptically.

"Now, Jennifer, I'm just going to finish up this report for the next board meeting and finish up an outline on my runes research paper this morning so it won't get in the way of the rest of our weekend. Don't you dare start worrying already," Severus said, grasping a hand. He then noticed a small box in it and glanced back at her to see her smile at him.

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you?" she murmured.

"If only everyone would forget. You know, if I were a Muggle I'd probably be thinking about retirement by now," he muttered.

"Don't you dare, we need you too much here," Jennifer said sincerely, watching as he untied the box and opened it to reveal a silver cloak pin adorned with an Alchemist Rose. "So, what do you think?"

"Rather unusual. Did you make this yourself?" he said with surprise, Jennifer coming around to lean on the desk with a beaming smile. "I think you've finally gotten the hang of crystal sculpture, Jennifer."

"Well, I'll never be as good as you, but I did make it. I even added an extra charm or two on it so you can use it with your other cloak if you wanted to," she said in an almost flirtatious tone. "It's made to disappear along with it, along with some of the usual charms. And…well, you really are so hard to buy for, so I set aside some of my lab time to try and make you something myself."

"Yes, and I did need a new cloak pin, didn't I? And I am glad you didn't go overboard for a change," he added, but she simply shook her head and kissed him. "Thank you, Jennifer. I suppose I'll wear it with my regular cloak today. Now, why don't you go ahead and run on down there while you're waiting? I won't be long."

"Yes, well, you'd better not be, you promised," Jennifer reminded him.

"I know, Jennifer. I'll be along," he insisted, going back to work.

"All right, you had better be. Don't forget, you need to be out there to support Lucky as well as this new program," Jennifer said, wagging a finger at him before striding out the door again.

Severus helped himself to another handful of licorice before quickly but precisely getting the rest of his work down. It was after that as he was meticulously putting his desk in order that he noticed Dodger roosting in the window and decided to fetch the post to give it one quick glance before walking down to the field. He paused when he saw a Ministry envelope and the Artifacts seal, opening up and reading the quick note.

"She would finish the thing today," he snorted to himself, wadding it up and throwing it in the fireplace before stacking the rest on the desk for later, and then grabbed his cloak and the new pin and walked downstairs.


	21. Observations

Twenty-One

Observations

When Jennifer got to the field, she couldn't help but laugh incredulously at what she was seeing. Still grinning she wandered closer to where a large group of students were standing on the makeshift pitch, some with balls, some talking, and even some actually wearing football shorts and jerseys. She also couldn't help but notice that a number of students were also there sitting on a transfigured set of stands, watching with a mix of curious and dubious expressions. Shaking her head at that, Jennifer walked closer, her eyes fixed on her daughter's pink jersey and her attempts at teaching Lyra how to play.

Teaching Lyra the concept of the game; not to use her hands and try to kick the ball in the net was the easy part. It was the logistics of the rest that were tricky, but Lucky found that Lyra was actually quite eager to learn, attempting first to teach her how to bounce the ball on one knee. When that only met limited success, she began simply kicking the ball to her and having her practicing kicking it back while Dale in his Galaxy shirt and Bobby and Gary March in their Chelsea jerseys just stood there side by side and shook their heads at them.

"There is no way Lyra could possibly learn to dribble," Bobby said.

"I suppose we could always try her at goalkeeper," Gary suggested.

"You could, but she isn't exactly agile," Dale admitted.

"Yes, but if she stands sideways, she could probably cover a lot of goal space, couldn't she?" Gary said. Bobby and Dale tilted their heads as if trying to imagine it.

"I think all you'd have to do is kick low enough," Bobby decided.

"Think she'd be able to do defensive mid?" Gary asked. Bobby grinned at him.

"You'd better go see who else in Gryffindor is worth anything, Gary."

"Wonder who's going to captain?" Gary pondered, glancing around.

"Ask Madame Brittle, we're going to go over and help Lucky with Lyra," Dale said. Bobby glanced at him, a bit surprised to learn this.

"Fine, but find out who's going to be Ravenclaw's captain too. I'm not spending all day out here without making some of my own impression," Bobby said.

"Considering Madame Brittle is probably going to have to explain the sport to half the people out here, I think we got time," Dale grinned. "Come on."

Jennifer smiled as she walked across the field watching them, and then glanced over at the stands, noticing something else. Sighing and shaking her head, Jennifer spotted Andrew on the far side transfiguring another set of stands from a rack of firewood and was taking a moment to double-check its stability.

"Well done, Andrew! From the looks of it, we needed another set. If I'm not mistaken, there's more actually watching than trying out," Jennifer chuckled at him.

"Especially where Slytherin is concerned," Andrew pointed out, nodding over to where Helena was busy showing the other three in her Order some basic passes. They were the only four Slytherin out on the field.

"Well, just let Danny worry about that, I'm sure she'll scheme up something. I have another project for you," Jennifer said. Andrew gazed at his mother curiously as she drew his attention to the other stands. "It seems that Dale is starting to finally build a fan base here."

Andrew looked over to see a large group of girls of varying houses huddled together in one group, all of them gazing wistfully at where Dale was standing, whispering to each other. Andrew chuckled at them.

"Well, we knew it was going to happen sooner or later, it's hardly surprising, is it? The kid has always been a charmer, that's probably why he's doing so well, although I'm sure being obnoxiously blonde and good looking doesn't help," Andrew grinned. "I don't think we have much to worry about though, do you? He does seem to know how to handle it."

"Yes, well, so did you," Jennifer pointed out. "And from one charmer to another, I'd like you to keep an eye on him from now on. I'm sure you'll spot any signs of ego on this issue before the rest of us, and I'd like you to do what you can to make sure he stays on the 'handling it' side."

"What? Oh, come on, Mum, don't you think you're taking this thing too far? Maybe we should make his own mistakes, you both let me bump my nose on the issue often enough," Andrew said.

"Yes, that's true, and I can appreciate that opinion, but I'm not giving you this project for his benefit, you know," Jennifer said.

"And just what do you mean by that?" Andrew asked with a sigh.

"Well, to put it quite bluntly, Andrew, I am _not_ going to allow Lucky to turn into another Ginger Davidson," Jennifer said primly. Andrew blinked.

"Ouch, Mum, that one hurt," Andrew frowned.

"I did say it was blunt."

"Yes, but so is a sledgehammer," Andrew said, but Jennifer simply gazed at him until he sighed and nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Andrew," Jennifer smiled, while Andrew seemed a lot more wary, wondering if she didn't have some secondary motives for this little 'side' project. "I think I'll go help the Headmaster test your new stands." Andrew looked up to see Severus sitting down on one with a book in hand.

"Yes, well, just make sure you're testing on and not under, I didn't make them for anything other than sitting," he warned.

"Why, Andrew!" Jennifer exclaimed in shock, but he simply smiled mischievously and wandered over to the other benches. Shaking her head at him, Jennifer finally climbed up to where Severus was and sat down. "Do you know, Severus, I think I liked it better when our children were little and they had no idea what marriage was other than the title," she said with exasperation.

"Meaning?" Severus asked curiously, looking up from his book.

"Nothing, just Andrew is getting more clever with his comebacks. Perhaps he is a Snape after all," Jennifer joked.

"As if there could truly be any doubt with that nose of his," Severus said, gazing out at the students. "I see they actually managed to get Lyra out onto the field."

"Yes, it was Lucky's doing," Jennifer chuckled. "Although she does seem to be getting the hang of it…as long as the ball is directly in front of her, at least. Severus, I'm really worried about her."

"Oh, what has Lucky done this time?" Severus frowned.

"No, not Lucky. I mean Lyra," Jennifer said. "I think we need to keep a closer eye on her." Severus looked over at them again.

"She seems to be adjusting well enough from what I've seen," Severus said.

"Yes, but looks can be deceiving," Jennifer murmured, Severus gazing at her thoughtfully. "I don't know, Severus…except for Sagittari, most centaurs are a bit hard to read, since their thoughts are constantly laden with star charts and I honestly don't keep up with that stuff enough to understand it all. But I noticed a curious streak of rebellion in her eyes, and sometimes it seems as if she were avoiding me personally. I'm really beginning to feel that girl might be, well…up to something." Severus thought about it for a moment, and then blinked.

"Did you just steal one of my lines?" he asked.

"Who, me?" Jennifer asked when she realized what he was talking about.

"You did, you stole one of my lines," he scowled at her.

"No I didn't. I simply borrowed one," Jennifer said with an innocent smile.

"Well, I hope you warn me before you borrow anything else," Severus retorted evenly.

"Oh, no, that was last night," Jennifer said back, pretending to watch the students.

"What cheek! When did you start getting cheeky on me?" Severus asked with feigned indignance.

"Oh, that came from last night too," Jennifer said, looking amused.

"Keep it up, Jennifer, I'll get even with you. If you're not careful, you may end up on an unexpected detour on our walk by the lake," he warned.

"Really? Old detour or new detour?" she asked without turning around.

"I'm certainly not going to give you a hint that would give you an opportunity to plan an escape route," Severus said, but then watched as a sudden smile crept over Jennifer's face, and he squinted at her suspiciously. "What?"

"Nothing really, Severus, only…I was just thinking perhaps this Occlumency stint you've been on lately isn't always so bad after all, because I really have no clue which detour you're thinking of at the moment," Jennifer chuckled. Severus gazed at her steadily.

"Good, then perhaps you'll take a hint and behave for awhile," he said, his tone dubious.

"What, did you actually want me to behave?" Jennifer challenged him.

"No baiting me in public," Severus retorted.

Danny gazed up at the second stands thoughtfully until Anna noticed who she was looking at and walked up to her.

"I see that Jennifer and my brother seem to have made up again," Anna said thoughtfully.

"Yes, it seems to have diffused rather quickly, all things considering…perhaps even too quickly," Danny admitted, noticing the tension had yet to let up.

"Yes, I'm afraid I'm beginning to agree with you there," Anna admitted with a sigh. "And the worse part of it is, as much as I'd like to butt in and do something…anything…I know that all I can really do is wait and hope for the best."

"Yeah…I think we need to probably concentrate on who we can help instead," Danny said, gazing thoughtfully at Lucky. "Because right now I'm not sure either one of them have been in tune enough to figure out they're not the only two people affected by what they've been going through." Anna nodded to her thoughtfully, then turned her attention back to helping some of the more baffled students figure out their new pastime.

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_My best friend has been angry at me for weeks now and I'm not quite sure how to make it right again. Although I know that I'm to blame for what happened, my attempts at apologizing have been met with nothing but vicious glares. What do I do? Seriously out of Luck._

_Dear Seriously:_

_Buy some sunglasses. Madame Mirth_

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_My brother and I joined the football team at my advisor's advice, hoping to pick up some points by the end of the year. But the b-- of it is, practically nobody on our team has a clue what they're doing…in fact, they blow chunks! I don't want to go out there just for us to have to embarrass ourselves, and I don't want the rest of the houses jeering at us, either. Please help! Effing Awful._

_Dear Awful:_

_Practice, Pray, and hope you get a Lucky break. Madame Mirth_

Madame Brittle swept through the Great Hall just before dinner with a fervent look on her face, striding straight over to Lucky.

"As soon as you're done stuffing yourself on turkey, I need to talk to you, Chance, and Davies about this football thing in my office for a few minutes before you head upstairs," Brittle said.

"What's it about?" Lucky asked curiously.

"Obviously it's about the team whose captain I didn't name," Brittle said curtly. "See you then."

"So that means it's about the Slytherin team, huh?" Connie murmured to her.

"It's because they suck," Lucky said. Across from them, Reggie and Gary both sniggered. "I bet she wants us to try and help her get them on some sort a competitive terms or somethin'. You've seen 'em at practice. They trip over the ball more than kick it."

"Well, it's not like it's completely their fault," said Jameson, another of the Gryffindors on Lucky's team. "They're all purebloods or halfbloods, they've had no more exposure to it than some of us did to Quidditch. I know I tripped over my broom often enough when I first started here."

"You still trip over your broom," Reggie said, and Jameson made a face at him.

"Anyhow, I'm pretty sure she wants us to get them on competitive terms," Lucky shrugged.

"What? Why ruin what you know is going to be sure victory?" Reggie asked.

"It's called good sportsmanship, Reggie. Besides, one of the points of our order is to promote cooperation between houses, and I think this would be good gesture."

"I don't mind as long as there are points in it," Lucky shrugged. Connie gave her a dirty look. "And besides, even if we do help 'em, they still don't have a chance."

"Well, considering neither do we, I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you," Gary warned her. But it was already obvious from Lucky's expression that she already knew that Ravenclaw was going to be the team to beat when they actually started playing in the spring.

But fortunately for all the teams (and especially Slytherin) that November had been especially dry, so despite the cold the teams were out there constantly, including Lyra, who had made the Gryffindor team at Lucky's insistence after deciding she would be an impressive deterrent anytime they went on the defensive. Nobody got in the way of a charging centaur if they could help it.

For the staff, November seemed to be a quiet month as well. The Headmaster, it seemed, had been on his best behavior of late. Little by little the tension in the castle finally began to relax, inching down by the day as Jennifer's mood improved and everyone concentrated on school business, most especially Severus Snape, who also made a dutiful effort to spend time with his wife. Not a word was said for several weeks about the ring, for Severus, it seemed, had decided to put that on hold for a while. He was, in fact, intending on holding out on finishing his research until the woman at the Ministry had completed whatever it was she was into and returned to wherever it was she came from, and was more than content to wait as long as it would take before he delved into that again.

So it happened that it was Jennifer who had gotten more and more restless on the subject, especially after his insistence that he handle the research side of the problem to keep her out of enclosed spaces, despite the fact she hadn't had another fainting spell since. He knew from the moment she had arrived for lunch that Friday that something was on her mind, setting his work aside the moment she came in and went for the tea.

"Severus, would you mind terribly if I went on a little expedition with Francis and Alicia this weekend?" Jennifer asked.

"Birding expedition?" he asked.

"Well, yes, partially," Jennifer said in a tone that made Severus squint suspiciously. "Francis is going to sketch the buildings and walls in his father's Village painting. We want to see if we can pinpoint where it used to be with Alicia's help…probably nothing there, really, or some sort of suburb or something, who knows, but considering we seem to be at a bit of dead end, it might be worth a trip. Hermione already said she'd chaperone Hogsmeade if we needed."

"I don't suppose there's any harm in looking," Severus admitted. "But if you find anything extremely odd, I hope you have the sense to come to me first."

"I don't expect there will be, but I will," Jennifer promised. "Besides, I'm sure you yourself could probably use a day to yourself to relax a bit." Severus gazed at her fixedly. "And without spending any time in here too, if I had my way," she chided knowingly, grabbing a sandwich.

"Very well, perhaps I shall, but I reserve the right to at least work on that paper I've been planning on," Severus said, Jennifer smiling at him.

"Well, I suppose that's almost recreation, at least for you it is," she teased him, and then spoke no more about it.

* * *

"I think this one is safe," Alicia decided, before stepping out of a painting into a Muggle's house, but fortunately none of them seemed to be at home. Immediately after helping the others out, she found a window and carefully surveyed the area before popping outside, Francis and Jennifer following close behind.

Jennifer glanced around at the hilly area thoughtfully a moment before following Alicia and Francis up a winding road. The smell of the sea was strong in the air.

"Any guesses to where we might be?" Jennifer said as they wandered down the road for a bit.

"Wales, I should think," Alicia said, glancing at the street names.

"Well I could have told you that, we knew it was in Wales before we started, although I don't think if there's anything findable that we're going to find it along a Muggle road," Jennifer said.

"Just trying to get our bearings, Mum. Besides, the closest spot was actually several paintings away, after all, that one was just the safest to get out of without being seen," Alicia said.

"Seems to be a bit of a hedgerow and some fencing over the rise to the left of us, I'd guess we're near some farmland then," Francis mused.

"The houses do seem scattered here, but look over there down near the river, a regular town of some sort for sure," Alicia said mused as they neared the crest of a hill the road went over. That's when Francis stopped short, glancing over the river at the green rolling hills on the other side.

"Do you know, I think that's probably the Menai Strait. That's probably Anglesey," Francis said. "So that over there might be Caernarfon perhaps...yes, you can almost make out the shadow of the castle from here."

"What, really?" Jennifer said in surprise. "For some reason I was expecting the town to be on the west side of the country," she murmured thoughtfully. "This is awful close to Viviane's territory, isn't it?"

"Mum, we may be close to Anglesey, but we're still miles from you-know-where, aren't we? Back then, it'd probably have seemed like a fairly long distance," Alicia said.

"Not for a wizard," Jennifer pointed out. She knew if she were Viviane, she might be a little more than concerned about a wizard wiping out a village in such disturbing fashion so close to her home. Of course, she wasn't Viviane, and it'd be just as like her to ignore it as trivial. Gazing over one last time at the island, Jennifer decided to drop the matter for now as they backtracked towards the house.

"I hope what we're looking for isn't over near those farmlands," Francis said after they had gotten closer. "If so, it's more than likely whatever ruins had been there were probably dismantled centuries ago, and the stone used in property markers."

"There seems to be some sort of trail here off the road…" Alicia said, and immediately walked down it despite the others' protests.

"You know we're probably trespassing or something, it probably just leads off to one of those farms," Jennifer said, beginning to get a little nervous that all their walking about might seem a little more than suspicious as the trail seemed to meet up with another one and widened a bit, taking them up a grassy hill.

"We were trespassing from the moment we stepped in the Muggle's house, Mum," Alicia pointed out.

"I think we're going in the right direction," Francis said after a bit, glancing at some of the fencing along the trail. "And I think we're in a bit of luck."

"Why's that?" Jennifer asked.

"Because I think that mesh fencing is to keep badgers out of the area, and that means there's probably a protected site up there…" Francis explained, then noticed his wife had stopped short on the trail above them.

"I think we found it," Alicia decided, and the other two hurried up. At the top was a large grass area with scattered stones all about…some seemingly haphazard while others seem to be arranged in groups. Even with weather over time smoothing and sculpting the stone, it was fairly obvious that human hands had been there first; many of them large stone blocks or chucks of stone blocks, partially buried in the soil while in the center of the strewn rocks was a small cairn. Foundations of what were once stone cottages could be plainly seen beyond, and even one lone stone cottage wall with a mauling window stood among the ruin. A chill traveled through Jennifer then, more than just the wintry winds off the sea, and she gazed over to see Alicia with the same lost look on her face.

"Jennifer, there are some runes on many of these stones," Francis said as he walked among them, and Jennifer walked over and knelt down.

"These are grave markers, Francis," Jennifer said after a moment, standing up thoughtfully.

"Really? Shouldn't these be written in Cymraeg then?" Francis said thoughtfully.

"You would think so, yes. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this entire burial site was purposefully made to look much older than it already was," Jennifer concluded, glancing at the cairn. "Very druidic style to the place, isn't there? I don't recognize all the runic notation either, we should write it down so Severus can have a look at it."

"Do you suppose they were trying to hide what had happened from those living at the time period then?" Alicia asked, Jennifer nodding to her. "Wasn't our society a lot more open back then, about practicing magic, I mean?"

"Well, yes, Alicia, but considering the scope of Mallus Craw's attacks, I can see why they might be worried if the truth got out what happened here," Jennifer said, getting out a small pad of paper out while Francis was busy writing the ones he found in a sketch pad.

While they were doing that, Alicia decided to wander over near the foundations of the buildings. These, she was fairly certain, would have been impossible to disguise as anything but medieval buildings, but perhaps were just far enough away for them to probably discount it as coincidental. The morning sun shone through the empty window and made an interesting effect on the wall beside it so Alicia decided to do some sketching of her own. She had been working at it a while when she suddenly noticed a figure sitting on a rock wall beside the farmlands, watching them carefully.

Alicia recognized the figure at once and immediately put her sketch away. She knew better than to even attempt to sketch Viviane, nor would she have wanted to. Their eyes met only a second before Alicia decided to just back away, while Viviane, after regarding her briefly, seemed neither concerned about being noticed or about Alicia's behavior as she kept walking backwards all the way up the hill so not to lose sight of the Lady. But as she neared the top, she stumbled over one of the markers and had to right herself. By the time she looked up, Viviane was gone.

"Alicia? Something wrong?" Jennifer asked, gazing at her pale face curiously until she began to lose color in her own face.

"She was here. Watching us," Alicia said, staring at the wall where she had been sitting.

"Who?" Francis asked.

"Aunt Viviane," Alicia said. Francis immediately whipped his head towards the direction she was looking in.

"So I was right then. She is involved somehow," Jennifer murmured.

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," Francis said nervously.

"She seemed to be curious as to what we were up to," Alicia admitted.

"Hardly surprising, is it? I told you we were too close for her not to notice. And I also think what happened here that night was something she would have noticed as well," Jennifer said. "And the more I think of it, the more I think those priestesses they were talking about in that memory were probably hers. I've heard her called an Oracle before, after all she was given the gift of prophecy by Merlin all those years ago."

"For some reason I think Merlin would protest the word 'given' in that particular exchange, Jennifer," Francis said amusedly.

"Mum, I really hope you're not going to seek her out about this," Alicia said, a bit wary of the expression on her face. "Because I really think that'd be dangerous."

"Yes, I know, I agree with you on that point, but there are certain circumstances she has her guard down more than others," Jennifer said, glancing at her notes and trying to find her place again. "I think I'll ask Anna to let me know if she decides to show up at one of her family functions." Francis and Alicia exchanged grimaces. "What? I can hardly get in trouble for that, can I?" Jennifer protested. "I promise I won't seek her out other than that if it'll make you happy."

"It's not my happiness I'm worried about," Alicia said, but then decided to join in helping to copy the runes so they could get safely out of the area.

* * *

Severus had every intention of taking Jennifer's advice that Saturday. After getting both Rasputin and Descartes fed (and overfed to the point that both decided to take a morning nap), Severus sifted through his tobacco tins and picked one out, gazed over his pipes a moment before picking the calabash, and immediately picked out the book he wanted before he made himself comfortable on a chair and waved his ottoman and the breakfast cart over as he settled in for the day.

He hadn't been more than halfway thru _A Case of Identity _when there was a gentle rapping on the window following by the piercing and persistent alarm of Descartes. Sighing in annoyance, Severus flicked the window open to let in an owl. The owl was forced to dodge the snapping Descartes to deliver his letter, nearly losing some tail feathers on his way back out of the window.

"Descartes, while I completely appreciate the sentiment behind snapping at every intruder you don't recognize that comes into my domain, if you keep on those owls like that, how am I ever going to get any post in here?" Severus complained at him. Although he didn't understand every word, Descartes turned and lowered his neck remorsefully. Severus sighed and petted his long beak before opening the letter and scowling at it. "On second thought, the next time that particular owl comes in here, eat it," Severus said in annoyance. Descartes head went up. He understood that part. But Severus wasn't looking at the Stymphalian; he was too busy furrowing his brows at the note in his hand.

_To the school headmaster: I happened to stumble upon something in my investigation that I believe is directly connected to something you yourself have been researching. Would you have the hour to spare today, I believe what I have uncovered will be of particular interest to you…well, besides myself, of course. Drop by whenever you like; you know where I'll be. Feel free to leave the ego at home, however… Samira L._

Severus snarled ferociously and crumpled the letter, throwing it in the fire before puffing with irritation on his pipe so much that he made it go out in the process. Sighing in annoyance, he readjusted his reading glasses and put his nose back in his book. He drummed his fingers as he attempted to calm down and pick up where he left off. He'd be damned if he'd go down there at her request. And besides, what the devil would she know about what he had been researching, he wondered to himself, reading the line over, still drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. Perhaps Coffers might have mentioned something. After all, she was always in and out of that office, and probably the same could be said about her and some of the assistants, he sneered, getting halfway down the page before he had to backtrack to where he had last remembered reading. But what if she had found something? Perhaps he should just try sending a note back asking for particulars or having her bookmark whatever it was until a more convenient time, he mused, wondering what excuse he could come up with. Then again, why would he need one? He certainly wasn't obligated in any way to go down there. After all, how many days alone did he get with no work in the way, and Jennifer likely gone for hours…he found himself taking off his spectacles and glancing at the clock…barely after ten.

He frowned at it a moment, shook his head, put his glasses on and stared at his book again. Finally he snarled, pulled them back off and set them aside. He put his bookmark in place and sat the book on the table, turned over his pipe in his ashtray and got up. He threw on a robe, took a glance at himself in the mirror and then frowned. Sighing, he went through his wardrobe again and found something a little newer, tossing it on the bed before going in to take a shower.

Within half an hour, he found himself walking down the lower corridors of the Ministry, more than a bit leery of passing the Auror Department, knowing full well they would have someone in there even on a weekend. Much to his relief, the door was closed when he passed. But he didn't have time to relax for long; for even though the door of the Artifacts was open, he could very plainly see that there was only one person inside. She was sitting on a stool at the counter with a folder out, very careful not to damage some of the more brittle pages of parchment inside. Suddenly she looked up, a thin smile playing on her lips.

"Ah, there you are, Headmaster. I have been wondering if you were going to come or not," she said, gesturing for him to come in.

"Miss Lamya. I trust it's for good reason," Severus nodded stiffly, walking over to the counter.

"Please, call me Samira. Lamya makes me sound like a demon seductress or something," she chuckled, gesturing to a stool.

"Funny, I thought it was quite appropriate," Severus returned, gazing at her warily when she looked even more amused.

"So you can bite back after all? Perhaps there's hope for you yet," she said, but then turned back to the folder before he could figure out a comeback. "I hear you have been looking for artifacts concerning Mallus Craw, is that correct?"

"Not looking for them so much as researching them. Come to think of it, the last thing I want to find is another one right now," Severus admitted dryly, and Samira looked up curiously.

"Another one?"

"My wife, being a Craw, has inherited more than her fair share of heirlooms, including from him," Severus said.

"You married a Craw?" she asked with interest, looking thoughtful. "Oh yes, you did mention your father-in-law at one point, so you mean Thomas' daughter. It seems I did hear something about her at one point in international circles, but I certainly don't recall what."

"Something to do with Voldemort or the Azkaban Revolt, more than likely," Severus shrugged, attempting to look at what she pulled out, but her hand was on it.

"No, no…wasn't Voldemort that Auror Potter business? And I don't know your other reference," Samira said, still trying to remember while apparently oblivious to his attempts at getting the paper away.

"Potion dream research?" Severus suggested.

"Potions…potions…that at least sounds familiar, although I don't think I've seen anything on potion dream research in years," she mused.

"It has been," Severus admitted. "May I?"

"Oh, I recall where I heard her name before now! Potion Pellets!" she said in triumph. Severus gave her a dirty look. "She invented them! Silly of her to sell the patent like that, though, you both could be buried in galleons by now."

"She prefers other pursuits and sold it to make sure her research was put to use," Severus shrugged.

"Oh no, don't tell me. She's a teacher as well," said tsked, Severus glaring at her dangerously.

"Can we please just get to the point of why you dragged me down here in the first place?" Severus said, growing increasingly irritable.

"I am sorry, Headmaster, I didn't mean to pry," Samira said with a smile that was slightly apologetic and yet somehow slightly amused at the same time. "Women do seem to like to take their time about things, don't they? I'm sure as a married man you know that first hand. We'd rather take it slow and enjoy the experience of living so to speak, while men do seem to be impatient to get on with things, whether we like it or not. You do give your wife the opportunity to express her own needs at least, I hope?"

Severus stared at her.

"I am not putting up with this. I don't care what you've found out, I'll wait until you crawl back into whatever hole you came out of before I come back in here again," Severus said and turned for the door.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! You really are so touchy, Headmaster!" leaning over to grab him by the arm.

"And stop calling me that!" he snarled, batting her hand away.

"Well, aren't you a Headmaster?"

"Not the way you say it!" he said venomously. She let out a short exasperated sigh.

"Very well then, how about Professor?" she asked expressionlessly, but a curious feeling went through him at the idea of her calling him that.

"No. Excuse me."

"Well, Severus, then?" she coaxed.

"Mr. Snape!" he snapped at her. Samira looked very amused by that.

"Very well, Mr. Snape. Leave if you like, although I'm sure my research of the town once known as Hamlin would, quite definitely, interest you. But I can see you didn't take my advice and brought your ego with you, so it's probably just as well for me that you do leave until you can figure out how to extract yourself from it," Samira said, sitting back down and looking over her research unconcernedly.

Severus ignored her, storming out of the room and down the hall. He didn't get too far before he began to slow, pushing himself forward until finally he stopped and let out a long sigh. He turned around and stormed back in.

"Fine! Show me, but without the digging and chain pulling and other tricks, if you don't mind!" he snarled viciously at her.

"Very well, Mr. Snape," she said, nodding with only the slightest hint of a smile. "Tell me, have you have heard of Tannhauser?"

"Yes, it's an opera I believe," Severus said.

"Besides other things, yes," the woman's thin smile grew slightly. "Tannhauser is the name of one of the Minnesingers I've been researching lately, a legendary poet, thirteenth century, and unknown to many also of wizardkind along with several others I've been looking into. He wrote a poem based on legends stories already in place of a man who had summoned into the court of Venus for a year and indulged in sins of the flesh, only when he has been called back into the mortal world. He pleads for forgiveness is turned away, returning to the caverns of Venusberg before he realizes redemption is granted after all…yes, well, that's the Christian version of the tale. I'm sure if you've researched ancient history at all that a lot of old myths had been rewritten by the faith to encourage expelling old gods as it were and converting to the new religion.

"But a little digging would reveal that this legend existed far before this time…in Italian and Celtic lores alike… the man in the story nearly always mentioned as a Germanic man, but in their versions of the story, the man had been lured into a cavern connected to the Otherworld and into the Dark Fae Kingdom…or the Unseelie Court, if you prefer. They're just different interpretations of the same thing really, but I think you'll agree with me that the story with the Otherworld as a destination makes more sense than the Venus reference. Being that those of the Unseelie Court are cursed with not being able to procreate with each other, they more than likely lured him there as a breeder. And, well, being a man, he probably rather enjoyed it," she said with amusement. "Anyhow, in the original story, he decides to go back to the mortal world only to find it rather lacking after his time in the Otherworld. He does his best to make his way in it, but everything falls short of what he experienced and soon decides that freedom wasn't what it was cracked up to be and returns, never to be seen again."

"Interesting tale, although I have yet to see what this has to do with anything," Severus said when she paused.

"Because, Mr. Snape, I believe that behind every myth…wizard or Muggle…there lies an element of a true story, if one digs deep enough to find it…they do get distorted over time do to their word of mouth nature…the end result of any line of gossip or hearsay over so many generations is never going to be pristine. And I was researching Tannhauser to try and discover where in his wanderings his charmed instruments might have gone, I ran into one rendition of the story that got me interested; for in it, the reason the man in the story was able to return to the mortal world was because he followed the sound of a shepherd playing on a pipe or a flute. It very much intrigued me, for in my research, besides a charmed stringed instrument which is what I'm attempting to track down now, it was rumored that the minstrel also carried a flute with him that he wore on his side but never played. Curiously enough, I was able to finally find some evidence to back up the fact that the hurdy gurdy I was looking for passed through a cousin into this country, but I could not find any reference to the other instrument. The trail to that instrument dead ends somewhere I thought much too coincidental to ignore considering the Muggle tales surrounding it, for the trail ends in Hamlin."

"The pied piper…" Severus said, staring at her notes in obvious astonishment. "Of course! Why didn't we see it before? It's been staring us right in the face since the beginning!" he said. "I had always assumed that the whole pipe thing was just a convenient way to explain the occurrences of the Plague spell and the charms he placed on the children. I had completely discounted that part of the story, especially since Mallus Craw could control sounds, and yet…vulnerable to them too, perhaps, which is why the ring protects him from sounds…protected him from the charms of the pipe, perhaps! Besides this reference to summoning, did it have any other powers, or was it the bearer of the pipe he feared? As if the summoning thing wasn't bad enough…"

"Considering, as I pointed out to you before, that I've only found the once reference to it as yet, I have no idea," Samira said. "What ring do you speak of?"

"The reason that I'm researching this in the first place, actually. The first time we visited the cave where Mallus took the children, my wife found a ring of his in the crypt inundated with dark curses, but its original intent was to protect the bearer from sound spells," Severus explained, pacing a bit to get his mind wrapped around this new idea.

"I'd be careful who you tell that part to, if I were you," Samira said with slight amusement. "I'm not sure the German Tribunal would necessarily agree with your wife's apparent assessment that something left in a grave on a historic site… and not passed down through inheritance…would fall under the heirloom laws, be it there or here." Severus stopped pacing a moment, studying her with a frown.

"That ring is nothing but deadly to anyone not of Craw blood, Samira," Severus said firmly.

"Oh, I agree with you, there's little denying it," Samira said seriously. "I simply thought you ought to know." Severus paused thoughtfully and nodded before pacing again. "And really, all we have are guesses right now, correct? I simply know that the trail grows cold in Hamlin; it's only a hunch of mine that it might be related. There's no true evidence to back any of this up."

"No, no…this is right, I'm certain of it. Some other things have happened during our research that would further support it, and I am now completely sure that that instrument is directly related to the quest curse on that ring," Severus said.

"Quest curse as well? I hope no one is actually wearing that thing then," Samira said.

"No, and it sounds as if it's a good thing they aren't. For I'm quite sure that even though we may not know where it is, someone has definitely rediscovered that instrument," Severus said worriedly, still pacing. Samina nodded solemnly.

"Then it seems you have your work cut out for you, doesn't it?" she said, her serious tone turning quickly into a toying lilt again as she put her research in order. "So perhaps it was worth it for you to have to come down here and put up with my incessantly obnoxious flirting after all?" she asked daringly. Severus stopped and glared at her fiercely. She simply smiled fixedly in return. Well at least she fully admitted it, he scowled, despite the fact she was fully aware of both his family and wife now…not that seemed to bother her in the least. Severus growled again.

"Perhaps," he said curtly, storming out of the room in anger, but the smile never left her lips.


	22. Houdini's Secret

Chapter Twenty-Two

Houdini's Secret

Jennifer walked tiredly into Severus' sitting room only to pull up short in complete astonishment at the piles of books laid out on the table, barely able to even pick out Severus as he huddled in the middle of them, reading.

"Why do I have the feeling that whatever you got into today had little to do with your rune research?" Jennifer asked with her hands on her hips.

"Perhaps because it doesn't," Severus said, not looking up. "On a whim I decided to pop down to the Ministry to look something up this morning and stumbled onto information on what it was that Mallus Craw was searching for."

"Are you serious?" Jennifer said in complete awe, tossing down her cloak and then sat down beside him. "And here I thought I was having a productive day. What is it?"

"A flute…a pipe, as it were; only it seems the piper wasn't the antagonist. The piper was, apparently, the quarry," Severus said, Jennifer gaping at him. "I am attempting to find out if any other references will give us some clue to its properties."

"And here I thought that was only some lame explanation they came up with to explain the spells!" Jennifer said, putting her head to her forehead.

"Yes, so did I, and I can say for a fact that I was just surprised as you are right now," Severus said. "Could you set this stack out of the way for me?"

"And it explains a lot, doesn't it? What with the ring and how it reacted and all…" she said, then paused. "So someone has it now then, don't they? That's why I heard that day in the meadow. But what about that strange feeling we all got?"

"Well, according to a brief reference in an old German legend, the flute may have had some summoning powers, possibly even connected to Tir Na Nog. You pointed out yourself that not everyone can hear the noise, but some creatures can…for example, your banshee heritage is why you can hear it when the majority of us can't. It also might explain why all four Sentinels felt something when you heard the noise. Something may have tried to use the flute to summon someone or something into or out of our world and created a momentary rift or door, which is what we felt." Jennifer tried to absorb that a moment, distractedly putting the books aside.

"There are quite a few fae races that can probably hear that," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "And that also explains your Aunt Viviane's interest in this as well." Severus squinted at her.

"I thought we were going to leave that point," Severus said.

"Yes, well, I agree with you in part, but she is involved, Severus. She actually showed up when we were investigating that site today…granted, we might have just been close enough to her territory to attract her attention, but I got the feeling from what Alicia said that she was more curious than she normally was…"

"Wait, where exactly did you end up?" Severus asked.

"On a hill across the strait from Anglesey, on a site that was disguised to look older than what it really was," Jennifer said.

Severus listened carefully as Jennifer recounted everything that happened, glancing over the compiled lists of runes thoughtfully, a bit baffled by the attempts of hiding it in general.

"I'll compare these runes to the lists of names I have of known deaths in the village," Severus said. "It's far from a complete list, Jennifer…many were listed just with a family name, especially the children. I swear it's another one of those times where it feels that the more we find out, the more questions there are than answers."

"Well, I think you're right in us having to concentrate on finding out what all that flute does, as well as finding its current owner. Mallus Craw wouldn't go to this much trouble for something like that unless it was either something he saw as a great threat or something that would increase his power dramatically," Jennifer said.

"Yes, but which?" Severus wondered, musing over it before glancing over at her again. "I suppose you agree that whatever quest is on the ring is probably related to it?"

"Yes, Severus, but exactly what that might be may depend on what the answer to that last question is," Jennifer said. "Is the quest to find it, destroy it, or use it for a specific purpose?"

"Well, regardless of the answer to that question, Jennifer, if it does involve this flute as I believe it does, destroying it would ultimately cancel either of the other two out, since the quest would be no longer valid," Severus pointed out.

"True," Jennifer agreed. "I suppose our next step then would be to try and figure out where that flute is and who has it."

"No, our next step, I think, is putting this room in order and getting something to eat," Severus said, pushing a book aside and taking his spectacles off to rub his eyes only to find a wife in his lap.

"Are you sure that's the very next thing?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Yes," he said firmly, but kissed her when she pouted. "After that, we'll see."

"Oh, very well, Severus, you're the boss, after all," she teased, getting up and sorting through one of the stacks. But Severus didn't get up right away. Instead he was gazing at her with a strange, intent frown on his face. "What, did I do something wrong?" she asked, but then he shook himself out of it.

"No, I was just thinking," Severus said. Jennifer let out a frustrated sigh and went back to sorting. "Sorry, I know that's probably getting annoying."

"Never mind, Severus," Jennifer said, pulling out a book bag and lowering the entire stack inside it.

"Jennifer, do you think I'm overbearing?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" Jennifer said. "It goes with the job, doesn't it?" she teased, but then turned around and noticed with some surprise that he was being serious.

"Perhaps I didn't put that the right way," he said with a frown. "I'm wondering if you feel as if I'm holding you back." Jennifer gazed at him for a long time; very much wishing she could read him in that moment. Wasn't he ever going to let his guard down again?

"Mentally, yes," Jennifer admitted. "But I suppose that's not what you meant, not that I'm at all that certain exactly what it is you do mean by it."

"Um…" Severus suddenly got up and went over to her, grabbing her and kissing her passionately until he felt her completely relax into a puddle. Abruptly he stopped. "There, that! What was that?" he asked. Jennifer blinked a minute but had trouble focusing, letting out a contented sigh. "Now do you understand?"

"Not in the slightest," Jennifer purred. "Perhaps you ought to try that again." Severus made a face and let out a short sigh of frustration, but not half as frustrated as Jennifer was when he walked back to the table to get another stack of books. "I hope you don't expect me to settle down to eat now!" she said with exasperation. "Honestly, Severus, you are putting me at a disadvantage."

"There, that's exactly what I mean. I don't want to take advantage of you," Severus snapped. Jennifer stared at him in complete disbelief, quite stunned by where the conversation was going. Finally she walked back over again, uncuffed her sleeve and took out her wand long enough to toss all the books across the room and out of his range before working her way back into his arms and kissing him lovingly. "If any of those books got damaged, be certain I tell Boulderdash who did it," Severus murmured.

"Never mind that. What has gotten into you lately, Severus?" Jennifer said with exasperation. "From the day we met, from the moment you sat down next to me at that table, I've never known you to be anything but sure of yourself, regardless of the turmoil of the outside world. Oh, perhaps you have had a hiccup of doubt during times you've felt you've failed a student because you took on more personal blame than you should have. But never ever have I known you to be one to constantly question every move you make like you have been, or be as unsure of yourself as you are now. And I know a lot of that has a lot to do with your unhappiness with the job, and a bit of it with your unhappiness with myself and your family," she said, covering up his mouth when attempted to protest. "But whatever self doubts you are going through right now, this I will not have. Because despite the occasional head-butting that caused one or the other of us to take to a couch, being the strong-willed individuals that we are, I have been nothing but happy with our marriage. And short of an occasional dozing off now and again by one or the other of us pushed to the brink of exhaustion and still trying to keep up our private life despite the demands put on us from work, I have been nothing but ecstatic about every moment we've ever spent together. And I admit that I've probably been a bit stiff lately with not being able to read you, but I assure you that's the only reason. Besides, if I wasn't happy with our time together, I should think it'd have come out years ago, and the fact we've been married nearly twenty-nine years should count for something. You are the only man I have ever wanted to be with, Severus Snape," Jennifer said fervently, kissing him lovingly. But although he returned the kiss willingly, there was a strange stiffness through his back and shoulders that she couldn't help but notice and she pulled away gently. "Do you not believe me?" Jennifer murmured, her gaze intense as she actively tried to get through his defenses. But sometime since the last time she had pressed, he had thrown another wall up.

"I suppose, although I wonder about that business we discussed about your first impression of Pyther in the past…"

"Oh! Severus, honestly!" Jennifer said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at him with an exasperated smile. "Never mind he's now married to your daughter and that was ages ago, it was an attraction that didn't mean a damn thing and you know it. I was in love with you, and I wanted to be with only you, and a little chemistry hardly means I wanted a relationship with the man. Besides, the fact I never tried to hide it from you either ought to account for something, although I did notice your hatred for him at the time definitely grew after you noticed it," Jennifer laughed softly, while Severus frowned. "In any case, that wasn't ever about me so much as Alicia. Didn't you yourself say you felt something the first time you saw my mother? Even as a child?" Severus nodded slowly, despite the fact he looked even more uncomfortable than he had before. "I will always love you, Severus Snape, and whatever the future may bring, I truly hope you believe that at least." Severus kissed her again, more to keep himself from speaking again than for any other reason, holding her in his arms afterwards only to notice how unusually tight she was clinging to him.

"Come on, Jennifer, we'd best pick these up. I for one would like something in my stomach besides licorice for a change," Severus whispered to her after a few minutes. Chuckling softly at him, Jennifer nodded with a smile before turning back to their task.

* * *

It was Monday after Connie returned upstairs after her Magical Creatures that she went into their dorm room only to discover it and the closet she shared with Lucky was turned completely upside down.

"Oh, no! Not again! Lucky! I thought you had Houdini trained to a hat now!" she said with exasperation.

"Ya, but he's being difficult again, and I need him for my Transfiguration homework," Lucky said.

"That explains why he's hiding then," Connie said, Lucky giving her a dirty look. "Well you're not exactly consistent, are you? Remember that time you were supposed to turn him into a sewing box and he came out of the spell with buttons in his ears?"

"Maybe he thought he was a Steiff," Lucky retorted, looking under the bed. "Come on, Houdini! At least come eat, your dish is full!"

"Come on, Lucky, we'll have to worry about him later. It is almost time for Herbology and it's the last test before midterms, remember? You're the one that's always going on about marks this year," Connie pointed out.

"Fine," Lucky sighed, standing up and grabbing her book without even a thought of trying to straighten up her mess.

The two of them hurried down to the greenhouses to the one that doubled as a classroom. It was always warm and stuffy even in winter, especially on sunny afternoons, tempting everyone to loosen their shirts and ties in a futile attempt to get comfortable while wizened old Professor Sprout taught from where she sat on a stool made out of a tree stump, her gnarled weathered skin looking almost like a continuation of the stool itself. Just a few seats away, Ambrose smiled at her warmly despite the fact that she had yet to forgive him over that business at the dance a month ago. The rest of the order had long decided to stay out of the situation, telling Ambrose that Lucky would come around eventually. But Ambrose was quickly learning that adopted or not, Lucky seemed to have the Snape knack for holding a grudge.

Lucky sighed silently when she got her test on carnivorous perennials, taking a quick glance through the pages before finally putting her name on the page and tried to concentrate. But not long after she had gotten on the second page, she suddenly felt something warm on her lap and reached down to find a pair of rabbit ears and a wet nose against her hand.

"Miss Snape, is that an herbivore on your lap?" Sprout said with a frown, several others glancing up briefly from their tests while trying to hide the fact they were doing so.

"Sorry, Professor, he came in on his own," Lucky said.

"No herbivores of _any_ sort are allowed near the greenhouses at _any_ time, Miss Snape, especially during tests. Ten points off Gryffindor; you're a third year, you know the rules by now and you're responsible for your own familiar's actions."

"Yes, Professor," Lucky sighed, petting Houdini one last time before smacking him on the rear and sending him on his way, shaking her head in annoyance.

It was the last time Lucky saw him for a week. Normally, it might not have worried her, even if it had forced her to borrow a very, very reluctant Darwin from Andrew to complete her Transfiguration exercise. But the fact that his food dish hadn't been touched at all did worry her immensely. She had been thinking about going to Sagittari about it when Professor Weasley interrupted her Arithmantics class long enough to ask her to come to her office afterwards. More than a little worried that Houdini had been found dead somewhere, Lucky came in the office on edge.

"Miss Snape, have you seen your familiar lately?" Weasley asked with a sigh.

"No, Professor. He hasn't even come back in the room to eat. Do you know where he's been?" Lucky asked in such obvious concern that she smiled reassuringly at her.

"Well he's hardly been starving," Weasley said dryly. "Professor Sprout has issued a formal complaint to the Headmaster and myself that her herb garden has been completely rampaged by, in her words, 'a familiar running amuck,'" she said, trying not to sound too amused by that as Lucky slouched down a bit. "And although she hasn't actually seen your rabbit down there, she's quite certain it's yours. We do only have three rabbit familiars in the castle right now, but the other two being Hufflepuffs…well…in any case, I expect you had better find him and put him in an escape proof cage. I suggest you do it as soon as possible, or I am going to have to recommend he not be brought back to school after the holiday break. Maybe you can employ your order members to look too, but um…don't trample the herb garden any more than it already has been if you can help it," she advised.

"Yes, Professor," Lucky said ruefully before heading to her next class.

Just after dinner, nearly the entire order was outside by the greenhouses, searching under every bush, worktable, and gardening tools closet. Even Lyra was out there with a special net, but there wasn't a single sign of him.

"This is no good. It's going to be dark soon," Helena complained.

"I don't know, Lucky, maybe it was one of the other two rabbits," Dale sighed. "Their rooms are a lot closer, after all."

"Ya, but they've probably been eating," Lucky said.

"Wait a minute, I've got an idea!" Ambrose said, getting up out of the herb garden. "We could ask your sister to find him, Lucky! All she'd have to do is sketch him, after all."

"I wonder if Mr. Pyther has left for the evening yet?" Lindsay wondered.

"Lucky, why don't you and Ambrose come with me to see if Mr. Pyther is still here. The rest of you keep looking while there's still light, and then we'll meet back at the library," Dale suggested.

"All right," Lindsay sighed, turning back to what they were doing as the other three went inside. The moment they disappeared, Dirk stood up.

"Well, I don't know about you, but all the sudden I can't see a thing now," Dirk suggested. When the majority of students decided to agree with him, Lindsay and Connie shrugged at each other and followed them back inside.

Francis opened up the door just enough to see who was outside, blinking in surprise to see the three students standing there.

"Yes?"

"Alicia wouldn't happen to be here, would she?" Ambrose asked.

"Um…just a moment," Francis said, forcing a weak smile before closing the door on his face. Lucky rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"She's there," Ambrose explained. Dale started to snigger until Lucky shot him a dirty look and he decided to look at the ceiling instead. A moment later the door opened again and they came in to see Alicia leaning on the desk, smiling at them curiously.

"Hi, guys! You were looking for me?" she asked.

"We were wondering if you could help us find Houdini," Ambrose explained, glancing at Lucky.

"Yeah, Professor Sprout is threatening to pull the Mr. McGregor routine for being in the garden, and Weasley wants me to get him put him caged before he can cause any more trouble," Lucky sighed.

"But we've looked everywhere!" Ambrose said with exasperation, throwing his arms wide.

"Well, maybe not everywhere, but everywhere that might make sense," Dale put in.

"I suppose it won't hurt anything to look," Alicia decided, glancing at Francis. "Especially since he's not likely to be out of the castle. I just need to run home and get that sketch I did of him over the summer."

Dale stared in complete amazement as Alicia suddenly climbed up on a small stool and stepped straight into a painting of herself hanging on the wall, quickly stepping out of view.

"She'll only be a moment. The studio in Hogsmeade is very quick by painting," Francis said, glancing back over at them. "Did anyone think to bring a hat?"

"Yeah, I got one," Lucky said. "Although I'm kinda worried that even if we do find him that he'll just get out again."

"I thought they made special cages charmed so rabbits can't get out of them?" Dale asked.

"Ya, but he gets out of those too, that's why I named him Houdini," Lucky said with annoyance.

"Like witch, like familiar, I suppose," Francis said mischievously, but then turned his attention back to the painting and offered his wife a hand back out of it, showing them the retrieved sketchbook before dropping it on the floor.

"All right everyone, grab hands and let's take a look," Alicia said.

"Us too?" Dale said with interest.

"We're more likely to catch him if Lucky is with us," Francis agreed, offering his free hand to Lucky. Lucky had a very tough time deciding whose hand to grab. Looking between them, she finally grabbed Ambrose's hand, ignoring the grins that appeared upon both of the boy's faces when she did so.

"Okay, let's just go," Lucky said grumpily, while Francis and Alicia shared a private smile of their own.

"On we go, then," Alicia said, stepping in and pulling them in with her.

Alicia stepped into the darkness in between the frames, walking until she could finally make out the edges of a frame in front of her. Still grasping Francis' hand she led them towards it, but just before she got close enough that she could step inside it, it suddenly veered off to the side. She paused unsurely a moment, but then noticed another frame up ahead and changed directions.

"What was that?" Francis murmured soft enough that only she could hear.

"I think he must have moved before we got to the closest frame," Alicia whispered back. Focusing in on the new frame, Alicia decided to pick up the pace, but once again as they came near it veered away once more.

"He is in the country, right?" Lucky said after they had started walking again. "Last time we took this route to New York it didn't take this long," she complained.

"Wow, really? I should hire you during tours," Dale joked.

"He's just moving around a lot," Alicia told them, sighing in frustration as another frame moved away.

"I am starting to get the feeling that rabbit really does not want to be found," Ambrose chuckled.

"Wait a minute, this one doesn't seem to be veering off like the other ones. I think we may reach it," Alicia said, hurrying a bit to make sure it didn't start fading at the last minute and stepping into the frame.

It apparently was a picture of a several islands close together, lush and green with the sound of the ocean soft in the background. Alicia gazed at it a moment, not recognizing the artist, and then finally peered out of the frame a moment before finally pulling the rest of them to stand on the shore.

"I know where we are now," Alicia said as they all stepped in the frame. "We're in Sagittari's hut." All of the others peered out of the frame and saw it was unmistakably so; from the tall table, stools, and the large hearth and oven and stove and icebox all obviously designed to suit Sagittari's unique needs.

"What would he be doing out here?" Lucky said with exasperation.

"I doubt he's here for a checkup," Dale said amused.

"Well, the way paintings work, it takes me to the closest one…but I have a feeling he's not here either. He's probably somewhere in the Dark Forest," Alicia said.

"We certainly can't go looking for him in there. Professor Snape has forbidden us to go inside it for any reason, and I'm certain he wouldn't allow us to go in looking for that rabbit. He's bound to come out sometime," Francis said.

"Doesn't Aurelius still live in there?" Ambrose asked. Alicia sighed at him.

"Yes, Ambrose, but brother or not, I am certainly not going to ask the head of the Auror department down to the school simply to look for an estranged rabbit," Alicia said. Suddenly she and Francis paused as they heard a door open, glancing around when they saw Sagittari take a step in the doorway with a baffled expression on his face, wondering where the sounds were coming from. Finally he focused in on the painting with a frown. "Oh, um, excuse us, Doctor, we were chasing a rabbit," Alicia explained.

"Yes, we apologize, Doctor, we didn't mean to intrude," Francis added quickly.

"If not, perhaps you should come out of there then," he advised expressionlessly. Grimacing slightly, Alicia carefully stepped out and pulled the rest of them with her, the three students ending up on a pile on the floor.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Dale declared cheerfully. Lucky darted an annoyed glare at him before getting back on her feet.

"Just have to watch out for that last step," Ambrose grinned as Francis helped him up.

"Now, what is this about a rabbit? I suppose considering who we have gathered here that Houdini has run off again?" Sagittari asked.

"Ya, and Professor Weasley wants me to find him and try to cage him," Lucky said dourly.

"Or else," Ambrose added darkly.

"We were expecting an easy recovery, Doctor," Alicia explained. "The paintings usually take me as close to the thing I'm looking for, but he kept running ahead of us."

"Yes, if I didn't know better, I'd almost think the rabbit knew we were on his tail," Francis said with amusement. Sagittari squinted at them for a moment.

"I don't see how he could, but I do admit it was rather like he was running away from us," Alicia admitted, glancing at Lucky. "Did you do something to upset him?"

"No, not really! Last time he showed up, he cuddled up on my lap," Lucky said. "In fact, he got me in trouble for coming in the greenhouses during a test. That's probably why he's the one being accused of getting in Professor Sprout's garden," she said with annoyance. Francis tsked softly.

"Hm," Sagittari said, drawing out his wand and immediately flicking it towards Alicia. Alicia blinked in surprise as a soft glow gathered around her and then faded again, wondering why he had just done that. But the centaur seemed preoccupied now, searching through a small cabinet before pulling out a bottle. "Miss Snape, I believe your choice in who to help you search has been working cross purposes. Considering our previous conversation on familiar behavior, I would have thought you would have been more discriminate. You really don't seem to be making much headway in controlling your familiar, and under the circumstances, I would advise you take my course on Magical Creatures next year."

"What? Oh, no, I've heard all about that 'class,' I'm not cleanin' no barns," Lucky said, glancing at Connie, who grimaced at Lucky mentioning her complaints in front of the doctor.

"Then I'll just advise your parents that you need to take it," Sagittari said calmly, ignoring the expression before turning to Connie. "And you, Miss Weasley, need to study and write something on the chapter on Magical Familiar Traits, if you don't mind. And as for you, Mrs. Pyther, I believe it's time you stepped into my office, don't you? Here, Mr. Chance, you may need that," he said, handing the bottle to Dale who stared at the label thoughtfully.

"What is going on? Why do you want to want to see Alicia all the sudden?" Francis demanded.

"Rather obvious, isn't it, under the circumstances?" Sagittari said with an exasperated sigh. "Your wife is pregnant. Now, if you don't mind?" Alicia turned and stared at him in shock for a moment before a smile crept on her face, while Francis began by shouting, crying and hugging her in complete incredulity. Suddenly he stood up straight and let out a high-pitched shriek of pure terror and fainted at her feet. "Come, Alicia," Sagittari said unworriedly, stepping in his office.

"Don't worry, I got it," Dale said to Alicia, showing her the smelling salts.

"Might want to let him lay there a bit. I have a feeling he's going to be on the floor for awhile," Alicia decided before following the centaur inside.

* * *

Lucky sighed tiredly when she and Connie got up to their room, frowning at the cage in complete resignation. Busy House Elves came through at some point and had picked up some of Lucky's destruction, but her own personal things were still a disorganized mess from her search so she reluctantly began to put that in order.

"We should probably just start on our homework," Connie said, grabbing it off the top of the trunk and getting settled at a table. "Look, at least Mr. Pyther can easily testify that you did everything possible to try and find Houdini."

"If he stays vertical long enough," Lucky snorted, reluctantly pulling her books out of the mess.

"Well considering the man was legally dead a year ago, he deserves a bit of leeway as far as shock value of the situation if you ask me," Connie grinned. "Even if his doctor had always been optimistic, that's quite a recovery."

"I guess, although there oughtta be some sorta law of how many nieces and nephews somebody can accumulate before they've graduated," Lucky said, Connie chuckling at her. "Bet the Professor is no more thrilled than I am though. You oughtta see how he gets when all of us are at the same place at once."

"What? That's nothing! You saw what Weasley family reunions are like! Total chaos!" Connie said.

"Right, true," Lucky said, propping her head up with a sigh and staring at the cage. "Ya know, that bit with Alicia bein' pregnant might explain why we couldn't catch up to Houdini in the paintings, but it don't e'splain what got him freaked out before that."

"No, you're right it doesn't," Connie said thoughtfully, tapping her quill. "I don't know Lucky, maybe someone else in the castle is pregnant." Lucky gazed at her a moment.

"Could be," Lucky said thoughtfully, thinking over the staff. "Hey, maybe it's your aunt again?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it isn't," Connie said. "I heard Uncle Ron say something about taking a permanent potion to make sure they didn't have any more accidents," she chuckled. "Not that they weren't thrilled with Richard, of course, but they had originally planned on just one. I know, maybe it's Madame Brittle."

"Madame Brittle can't have kids, that's why they adopted," Lucky said. The two of them grew thoughtful again. "How about Madame Potter?"

"Very doubtful," Connie said. "And she's only here a few hours during the day and for Quidditch games. How about your Aunt Anna?"

"Past that age."

"Not your Mum, surely…"

"I dunno if she still can have kids or not, but I know the Professor can't," Lucky said.

"Well, we know it isn't Sprout or Sinistra, they're too old…and come to think of it, Scribe probably is too," Connie said, frowning. "I don't suppose a pregnant House Elf would set it off?"

"Doubtful," Lucky said, but looked a lot more concerned than she had a moment ago. "We just eliminated all the women on the staff, didn't we?" Connie knew what Lucky was thinking, not wanting to really go there yet.

"Maybe it's just something else. Or maybe it's just because your sister has been hanging around so much?"

"She still goes home. He'd still have time to come up to eat…" Lucky grew thoughtful. "I wonder if the rabbits in Hufflepuff are eating?" Connie frowned.

"You think it's someone in this tower, don't you?" Connie asked at last.

"Maybe he's eating from the garden because he doesn't feel comfortable getting to his dish," Lucky said, suddenly pushing her homework aside and getting up, grabbing the cage.

"What are you going to do?" Connie asked.

"I'm gonna go ask Lindsay or somebody to keep the cage overnight. I wanna see if he eats out of it," Lucky said.

"Worth a shot, I guess," Connie said, getting up herself. "But what are we going to do if he does come back…I mean…what are we going to do if you're right?" Lucky secured the cage thoughtfully.

"Let's just worry about that when we get to that point," Lucky decided as she opened the door and the two of them started down the stairs.

The moment that Lindsay appeared at breakfast next morning with Houdini in her arms, the girls knew they had a problem.


	23. Trouble at the Prison

Twenty-Three

Trouble at the Prison

Jennifer was in the middle of her last class before lunch when Hermione finally made it downstairs, the brief smile she gave so strained that Jennifer immediately wrapped up the formula they were working on and assigned homework and reading, glad they didn't have a lab that day. With Ratfly on a stand and Crookshanks in the doorway to keep an eye on the class, the two of them quickly stepped into her office.

"What is it, what is wrong?" Jennifer asked concernedly, a bit baffled by what she was reading off of her. "What in the world would make you think…"

"It's a bit of a long story," Hermione said, glancing in the classroom before lowering her voice more. "Lucky and Connie came to me this morning…well, I suppose you heard all what happened yesterday," she said, Jennifer beaming brilliantly as she thought of Alicia and Pyther. "Well, apparently, that's not what was bothering Houdini. In fact, the girls think it's someone in the Gryffindor rooms," she explained, Jennifer's face instantly turning grave. "Lucky was still having trouble with Houdini last night, so she tried moving his cage to another location and was able to get him to come out…but he won't go anywhere near that tower. Actually, I took them both out of their classes and we spent the morning experimenting with it, and I think…I think they might be right."

"Oh, no," Jennifer sighed, putting her hand to her head. "But who could it be? Why didn't they come to one of us?"

"I don't know, Jennifer. I can't even make a guess, which is why I'm here. I am hoping you'll agree to truth seek a bit and see if you can't figure out which one it is," Hermione said. Jennifer let out a long sigh.

"Well, it'll be easy enough to do in my fifth through seventh classes since we're starting Oats Bane this week, they'll more than likely be thinking about it. But you know as well as I do that my sixth and seventh years hardly include everyone," Jennifer pointed out.

"Yes, but perhaps enough of them we can either find her or eliminate some of them," Hermione said.

"Maybe, Hermione, but this last stint with Houdini has only been going on a couple of weeks, it's quite possible that the girl doesn't even know she is pregnant at this point," Jennifer frowned.

"Perhaps, but you should be able to read which ones are actually active or not…especially considering the timing it's more than likely a boy in the school," Hermione said, but Jennifer looked very dubious, shaking her head. "I know which ones come to me, and being Gryffindors, I am sure I can easily peg which advisors the others are going to so I can narrow it down."

"Hermione, I may have walked away from a Truth Seeker's license, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable with this. It's a breach of privacy, and a breach of confidence on my part outing these students, especially since we have no positive proof of this short of one rabbit who has always been a little peculiar," Jennifer protested.

"Fine, no reporting, I understand your concern in that. But will you at least try to figure out who it is and talk to her about coming forward?" Hermione asked. Jennifer thought it over a moment before nodding.

"Very well. May I change my lesson plan enough so I can teach the younger students one of the suspensions involved with that potion? It'll give me a reason to bring it up so that I can check the younger students as well," Jennifer sighed. "I suppose Severus knows about this already?"

"No, he left for the day before I could follow up on it, but I plan to stay and talk to him the moment he gets back from the Ministry," Hermione assured her.

"That's right. He was going to go down there to help one of the Artifacts assistants track that flute down. He's hoping he can find a painting or drawing of the flute from someone who has seen it first hand, because if we can then Alicia can get to it. But really, this is much more important. I really think you should call him back to the castle. I'm sure the flute can wait," Jennifer said.

"Well, I don't see what he can really do about it even if he is here," Hermione said thoughtfully. "But I think I'll send him a note that something has come up and to find me the moment he gets in."

"And in the meantime, I suppose I have some work to do," Jennifer said, gazing thoughtfully out at her class who instantly began to hush each other and look intent on their homework.

* * *

"Ah, Professor!" Coffers said with a warm smile when Severus strode in the door. Glancing through a file in the very back of the room, Samira looked up with a nod and her annoyingly smug smile. "I believe some congratulations are in order. I hear you're to be a grandfather again."

"Yes, although that is a perpetual state of being for me in recent years," Severus said dryly. "I am always about to be a grandfather again. Alexandria is thrilled of course…"

"Oh, I was referring to your other daughter, Alicia. Alexandria is old news," Coffers said mischievously, showing him the morning _Daily Prophet_. Severus glanced at it and then rolled his eyes at the headline _Six-hundred Year Old Man to Be First Time Father,_ shaking his head and making a mental note to himself to have a long talk with Ron later. Samira seemed amused by the annoyed expressions crossing his face, taking a moment to grab Severus' own research and bring it over to the counter.

"You don't seem all that pleased about the situation, Mr. Snape. Is the reminder of your age so plaguing as all of that?" Samira asked.

"Not so much as the number of them, no," Severus said curtly, taking the folder and books from her and walking to a back table, ignoring the fact she was following him.

"Oh really? You can't have as many as all that," Samira said, sitting down beside him.

"Counting these two it'll bring it up to eight," Severus muttered.

"Eight? Already?" Samira said with surprise, staring at him. "I know you have a lot of children, Mr. Snape, but you really don't look old enough to have eight grandchildren. But then, you also don't look old enough to have one," she chortled softly.

"Five of them are courtesy of my first son, Corey…he was nearly twelve when we adopted him, the year we were married," Severus said, deciding it was better to omit how long he waited before marrying when she simply 'ah'ed' in understanding. "His parents and one of his brothers were taken from him at an early age, and his wife was an only child. I believe both situations played a part in their decision to have a large family…not that I can talk really, considering after adopting Fortuna we outpaced them again."

"Do you get along with them all?" Samira asked thoughtfully.

"Oh yes, quite, although they can be exasperating at times. And they all have very distinctive characteristics; although Natalie reminds me of her mother, and Hope of her father. As for Charles the Third…he will be a forced to be reckoned with when he gets into Hogwarts. In fact, I'm already bracing myself for the impact," he said dryly, earning a laugh.

"How old is he?" she asked.

"Six," Severus said, finding his place in his research.

"Is that all? Oh, but then he won't be getting to school for years then!" she said.

"I like to plan ahead," Severus said in the same dry tone. "Can I borrow that tome on Minnesingers again?" Samira immediately fished it out and handed it to him, still gazing at him pensively.

"You know, anything can happen in five years. Just how long do you plan on keeping with your current job, Mr. Snape?" Severus simply shrugged, flipping through the book.

"As long as I'm needed, I suppose. Decades more than likely, if not longer," Severus said in a low voice, getting up long enough to get some tea and slipping a carrot potion in his cup so he didn't have to put his spectacles on.

"You don't sound very thrilled about it, do you?" Samira said when he sat back down, studying him fixedly with a slight frown on her face. But it became obvious he wasn't going to comment right away, for he was focusing on the book in front of him instead. "Severus, if you're unhappy at the school, why don't you go into something else? It's hardly like you'd be turned away by anyone or anything you'd want to do considering your fame and accomplishments."

"It isn't that simple. Even if I were inclined to leave, which I'm not due to obligations I've accumulated over the years, attempting to find a replacement would be quite…well, next to impossible, really," Severus murmured.

"Well, I'd say let the board deal with it, myself. After all, they should do something productive with their time," Samira said amusedly.

"Perhaps, although board recommendations for that position don't usually last very long without the support of the current Headmaster…in fact, there've been many disastrous ones in the school's history because they didn't have the support of the current staff or the school itself."

"You speak almost as if the school is its own entity," Samira said thoughtfully.

"Yes…yes it is, in a way," Severus agreed, rereading the passage he had been looking for and making a note, aware she was still gazing at him searchingly.

"Well, what about the day that a replacement does come along and you decide the school doesn't need you and you can finally move on…what do you plan to do with your life then?"

"Knowing how things are going, I'll be too old and decrepit to do much of anything," Severus muttered.

"Oh, come now, Severus, if you aren't at least going to have any optimism in your own life right now you could at least dare to hope for something better someday," Samira scolded him. "Certainly a man like you still has some ambitions to dust off. What did you want to be when you were in school?"

"An alchemist, mostly. Potion development, although I also had a rather fanciful ambition of designing new dark spells with some acquaintances of mine…a pursuit I quickly learned was too costly for my tastes," he murmured distantly. "I still dabble with potions now and again, mostly for my family's benefit and my own. I find it relaxing."

"But no desire to take it any further than that anymore?" she asked.

"No, not really. I find it suits me better as a hobby, especially now that my son is near the top of the field these days," Severus shrugged.

"Perhaps something to do with your expertise in Ancient Magic, then," she suggested.

"Regardless of what others outside the field might believe, I hardly consider myself an expert. In fact, the person who got me started on the subject would be the first to say I've barely began to skim the surface," Severus said. "Although…" he began again before she could question who that person might be, "I suppose I might consider going back to work as a rune expert for an excavation company or something. I dabbled in that before and I rather enjoyed it."

"Well, I know from experience that we could definitely use more of those even in the private research sector," Samira said dryly. "I've run into quite a few of runes I've had trouble with on this investigation myself. I was going to hire someone in Greece but I had been assured there was an Omnivox on staff here in the British Ministry and didn't hire one, only to find out she was on leave. So I know for a fact there aren't many rune experts here that aren't already employed for one thing or another, so the market is definitely there if you wanted to be one. Freelancing, I find, can be quite profitable, and the best thing about private research is everyone pretty much leaves you alone, short of turning in a report now and again to show you're making progress. The grants are always quite liberal…probably more than you're making now."

"I hardly got into teaching for the money," Severus said, finally turning the page.

"Something tells me it isn't for the classic answer of molding minds for the benefit of future generations isn't it, either," Samira taunted.

"Not really, no," Severus said irritably, pushing her book back at her. "If you must know, I did a lot of things in my youth that I wasn't proud of, so I took the job as a way to help fix those mistakes and to pay back what I owed our society for making them in the first place."

"So what you're saying is the school is a prison?" Samira said, Severus' head whipping up in surprise, staring in shock at her curious gaze. "You got into teaching to pay for your crimes to humanity? Is this some new sort of self punishment?"

"Repentance, rather," Severus snapped.

"Yes, well, even still, how long have you been teaching?" Samira asked, Severus frowning at her and shaking his head, turning back to his research and attempting to ignore her. "Fine, I won't pry anymore, Mr. Snape, although I can't help but wonder about what you did to deserve to condemn half your life to a job you obviously never intended to get stuck in. From what I hear, Minister Craw himself had a ghastly list of crimes before he was put in Azkaban, and he got out. At least have the decency to grant yourself a parole hearing now and again. Who knows, maybe you can get out on good behavior someday," she said with that irritatingly smug smile that always made his blood boil. "But never mind that, since you profess some knowledge in runes, can you tell me what this rune set is supposed to mean?"

Letting out a long sigh to control his temper and convince himself not to let her bait him like that, Severus forced himself to concentrate on the research, quickly explaining one of the marks she had pointed out before burying himself in his own books and refusing to talk about anything outside of what they were working on until an owl arrived from the school.

"Trouble at the prison?" she inquired thoughtfully when he quickly began to gather his things, but Severus obstinately refused to answer, excusing himself without further comment.

* * *

Jennifer worked her way to her office in between classes and over to her filing cabinet in a reluctant but sincere attempt to find some old handouts she had written several years ago on the different parts of the Oat's Bane potions for her younger classes, hoping to get a quick agenda together for Hermione as soon as possible knowing full well that Severus would ask for it. Of course, he also would probably have had words about the state of her filing cabinet, she thought wryly, making a few random guesses as to where she might have put what she was looking for. She grinned slightly at the thought, wondering when he'd happen to wander in her office to look for something and end up reorganizing again like he had a tendency to do at random over the years, glancing at the ring out of habit at the thought of him.

Suddenly she stopped what she was doing, frowning at it. The light blue of recent days had paled even more, leaving only a strange steel grey color that she had never seen before. Worriedly, she got out her watch just in time to see it swing from the Ministry to Hogwarts grounds. Well, at least he seemed all right, Jennifer sighed softly, glancing over at the portrait of Severus to see him soundlessly tuning his violin. But she did wonder if she ever would have the courage to ask him about it, or even find out if his ring was doing the same thing. She shelved her concerns for a moment and glanced in the Potion Lab to see the class filling up again. Sighing, she took out half the files in the top drawer, giving them a surprise lab test to give her more time to look through them.

Severus walked past the Charms room just long enough to make eye contact with Hermione before making his way up to his study, cutting through the sitting room to drop off his research on the way. He settled in and glanced at his appointment book, but the simple notation of _'brief discussion with Professor Weasley concerning a matter of some delicacy'_ was not very revealing. He drummed his fingers for a moment before sifting through his paperwork looking for a distraction and pulled something out to work on, glancing at his watch to see how long before the next class session got out. But before he could really concentrate on what he was doing, Severus felt a cold chill in the room and the hair on the back prickling. Sighing, Severus glanced at a new notation in his appointment book before looking back at the test schedules in his hand.

"What do you want this time, Icarus?" Severus asked without even a cursory glance around the room. "I need to speak with Hermione as soon as she gets out of class, so whatever it is you want to gloom and doom about this week, please keep it brief."

"Oh yes, I'm quite sure how you've been spending your time lately is much more important than what I have to say," Icarus said with such dripping sarcasm that Severus looked up, focusing in on the ghost that had materialized in front of his desk with a critical look in his eyes and open disapproval. Severus stared at him searchingly for a moment. "Actually, although the subject is somewhat related, it is more a student concern. You see, one of my best students…one whose name you could easily guess…has been having the same recurring vision…or dream, if you prefer…for the past two weeks. In point of fact, it has been rather hanging on the boy. Care to take a look at his homework on it?"

"Not really," Severus said unconcernedly, a copy of it falling to his desk anyhow. "I take it he is under a lot of stress?"

"A bit, Severus, although he is more baffled by the persistence of it than anything," Icarus said carefully.

"Very well. I'll speak with Sally and Sagittari and have him put on a Sleeping Potion for a while," Severus said.

"So we are to ignore this warning then, I take it?" Icarus asked. Severus let out a short sigh and looked up again.

"Icarus, we have two weeks left of classes for the break and therefore Ambrose has a lot of important tests coming up. I would rather that he is able to do that on a full night's rest. As for warnings, you know how I feel about that," Severus said.

"Yes, and you have had the good sense to follow it on occasion, from Essie as well as myself, and perhaps even Merlin a time or two," Icarus said. "But don't worry, Severus, I won't go into any of that again, I made a promise to someone that I wouldn't interfere in what might happen, but I will offer you one last bit advice. Regardless of what influences, mysteries, or temptations occur that might try to entice you away from this castle, you would be best served by putting the outside world on hold and concentrating solely on school affairs these last two weeks. There will be opportunities enough to question yourself as much as you like later on, but for the school's sake, your family's sake, and for God's sake, do not do it now! Keep your concerns here, please!" he pleaded.

"My concerns are always here, Icarus, even when I'm not," Severus said evenly, Icarus' lips thinning to the point that his incorporeal form practically looked as if he had none at all.

"And so you choose not to listen, as I knew you wouldn't," Icarus said, growing depressed.

"Then why bother at all?" Severus asked curtly. Icarus pondered that for a moment.

"I thought I owed it to Jennifer to at least make the effort," Icarus said, slowly fading away. "You may think right now it is you who are imprisoned at the moment, Severus, but I would wonder if I were you who might be forced into an even worse position if things continue the way they are. It's not the Scorpion in the cage, Severus," he added, a ghost wind picking up the homework he had left and landed in front of him.

Reluctantly, Severus picked it up and glanced at it, frowning as he pondered its meaning. But he hadn't been looking at it long when Hermione walked in and sat down and he quickly put it aside.

"So?" Severus asked. Hermione sighed, wondering how to approach it.

"Well, I suppose the good news is that we finally figured out why Houdini has gotten so skittish and had taken to tearing up Sprout's garden for food," Hermione said. Severus stared at her.

"You called me back for that?" he asked blankly.

"Um, well, no, that's because of the bad news, which is that we figured out it's because he must have had a viable reason to be avoiding the Gryffindor tower," Hermione said reluctantly. "And we think it's the same reason he was trying to avoid Alex and Alicia." Severus gazed at her fixedly for a long time. Finally he groaned and put his head to his temples, slumping over the table.

"I really don't need this right now. I really don't," Severus muttered, while Hermione glanced at him sympathetically. "Any ideas as to who it is?"

"No, but I have Jennifer working on that already, and considering what her last labs are going to be before the break it'll be easy for her to get their minds on the subject," Hermione said. Severus sighed and leaned back in his seat.

"Well if there's anyone in this school who knows how to butt in on someone else's personal affairs, it's Jennifer," Severus agreed and Hermione smirked slightly. "But what of Houdini? Has Sagittari attempted to talk to him?"

"I'm afraid he's run off again," Hermione sighed. "Who knows where he could be."

"Perhaps it's time to call in an expert," Severus decided, grabbing a piece of stationary. "In the meantime, I want you to speak with Sagittari. If any Gryffindor girl steps foot in the hospital wing of their own accord…no matter how trivial the complaint…I want them tested…quietly, of course. I assume you already asked Fortuna and Constance to keep it quiet as well?"

"Yes, Professor. I am quite positive they realize how serious this is," Hermione assured him. "And considering this just started happening a few weeks ago, it may be possible for whoever it is to hide her condition until the summer."

"Or until her magic gives out," Severus said. "Of course, that isn't going to help us one bit if the parents decide to hold us liable."

"The school has taken every precaution, Severus, you know that as well as I do," Hermione said firmly. "Honestly, I'm a lot more worried about what the reason is behind either student not coming to us about protection when they didn't have it. Even Cedric came to me before the end, you know."

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I didn't hear a word of it," Severus said sternly, Hermione grinning at him in response. "Let's concentrate on finding her first. I have a feeling once we figure out who it is, the reasons will come clear on their own."


	24. Vigil on a Cloudy Night

Chapter Twenty-Four

Vigil on a Cloudy Night

In the dead of the night, Lyra slipped out of the castle and over behind Sagittari's hut. She wasn't worried about getting caught even at that time of evening, having such a ready excuse to be out there. She paused, glancing up at the cloudy sky with a frown, barely able to catch a glimpse of moonlight beyond it. But curious as she was to what might lie beyond the blanket of clouds, it was hardly her main reason for coming out there. She heard a noise near a copse of pine and took a few cautious steps over to check it out before rearing back cheerfully and hurrying over, slipping into the cover of the forest.

"Greetings, star," Hermius said softly, his face solemn. A shiver went through Lyra to hear herself called that, feeling much more grown up in that moment than she ever did at school.

"Stargazer," Lyra said with a slight grin. "What news from the constellation? Everything well?"

"The skies darken, yet perhaps it is to shelter us from the prying eyes of others," Hermius said in a low voice, glancing over at the hut. "But our elders are not blinded by the wizard's ways and read the stars true as ever. I shall be allowed to join in the circle at the Constellation. And you may join the mares, should you come alone to meet them." Lyra's face fell.

"If only I could. But you know as well as I do that Father has forbidden me to go further into the forest than this. He will not allow it, Hermius," Lyra murmured.

"It is no longer his place to say what you can and cannot do," Hermius pointed out.

"Yes, I suppose that's true, although…he doesn't know that."

"Then perhaps it is time you told him?" Hermius sighed. Lyra shook her head. "As a mare, you do have the right to disagree with your father's views, especially when they are not the views of the constellation. You are not an outcast, Lyra, and it is possible to disagree without dishonoring him."

"If only I can make you understand. The world is a different place for me now…it's more than just the earth and the heavens, there's…there's something else there."

"How can there possibly be anything more than the earth and the heavens?" Hermius asked in confusion. Lyra wasn't quite sure how to answer. "I will join the stallions at Solstice, Lyra, and as my star it is your duty to attended the fires with Star Peregrine. Would you then dishonor me with your absence rather than disobey the one responsible for your not being where you belong?"

"Of course not, stargazer," Lyra murmured, troubled.

"Then I shall tell your mother to expect you," Hermius said solemnly. "If I am not mistaken, I shall see you once more before then."

"Yes," Lyra agreed. But Lyra also knew Hermius was not likely to speak to her during the next visit; the discussion on Solstice was officially closed. But what was she going to tell her father, she wondered as she walked back to her dorm room. Then again, perhaps she didn't need to say anything. She was sure she could probably just sneak away again. After all, she hadn't been caught any of the times she had done it before.

* * *

A long, heavy snowfall on Saturday quickly made up for the dry month before, effectively canceling all football practice until the spring. But Lucky planned to practice on her own, snow or no snow, and with Helena, Pimra, and Connie's help was able to clear off enough ground with heat charms so that they could at least practice hitting some goals into the net on the near side of the field. Lyra soon joined them, and after choir let out, Ambrose and Dale made their way out there as well. Dale chuckled and shook his head.

"You're going to ruin the pitch playing in these conditions, you know," he pointed out. "Look, the grass is already is starting to come up in the mud."

"Then don't play," Lucky retorted, kicking the ball past Pimra, who flailed wildly in a futile attempt to catch it.

"Here, you'd better let me goalkeep," Dale offered.

"Can I try next?" Lyra asked, and everyone got well out of the way as she turned to her side. Dale immediately grew alert as she kicked the ball in with one of her hind legs. He easily caught it, but the force of the kick sent him against the net and he bounced off to land face first in the mud. Lyra covered her face while the rest of them broke out laughing, including Dale, who turned down Connie and Helena's efforts to help him up, knowing they'd end up covered as well.

"Maybe you're right, maybe it is too muddy," Pimra chuckled.

"There's a footprint spell that might help, although I'm afraid we've already done a bit of damage to the turf here," Dale said, pulling his foot out and using a spell to clean off some of the mud. "Maybe they'd let us practice some basic moves in the gym?"

"With all that glass in there? Not likely," Connie snorted.

"We should probably be studying for our tests anyway," Pimra sighed. "I'm sure everyone else is in the library by now."

"Okay, okay," Lucky said irritably, obviously more than a little disappointed. "So the heat charm wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Well, it wasn't all that bad an idea, Lucky, but you need to tone yours down a little," Connie chuckled at her. "We'd have been much better off if we hadn't accidentally thawed out the ground as well."

"Come on, then, let's go in with the others. It looks like it's going to snow again anyway," Ambrose said.

"I need to stop by my Father's hut for a moment first," Lyra said, trotting ahead.

"That reminds me, I still have that silly paper to finish," Connie said.

"Paper?" Helena asked.

"For not realizing Lucky's familiar was going crazy about Alicia. At least you were spared that, Lucky," Connie said.

"Don't be too sure about that. Jackie already came to me and told me I'm going to have to take Magical Creatures next year whether I want to or not. It's not fair! What's the point of having 'electives' if I'm not the one electin' them?" Lucky complained.

"Well, I've had to take Divination since last year," Ambrose put in.

"Yeah, but that's different, you actually like it," Lucky said. "Like me an' Arithmantics."

"Well, I suppose that's true, although you know History is really my favorite subject," Ambrose pointed out. Helena waved a finger near her head to let her sister know how crazy she thought that was. Connie and Pimra both grinned at her. "Especially lately. Div II has just gotten so…tense."

"Now, don't start that again! You know I don't believe in that stuff!" Lucky scowled at him. "I wouldn't even be taking the first year if it wasn't a requirement…it's bad enough getting stuck with havin' ta take Muggle Studies. I'd like ta meet whoever's bright idea it was ta make Divination mandatory and tell them how stupid it is."

"That's easy, all you have to do is head upstairs," Pimra said. "I once heard my grandfather tell someone that was all Snape's idea." Lucky stared at her.

"There ain't no way in hell I'm going to believe that story, _chica_," Lucky said flatly, but Pimra simply smiled and shrugged at her, not at all surprised that she didn't believe it.

"Hello, who's that over standing with Sagittari? He's huge!" Dale said out of the blue, causing the others to look over curiously.

They picked them out easy as they stood by the pens; apparently Doctor Sagittari was giving the enormous, burly man some sort of a tour. He had long, wild, greying brown hair and a frizzy peppered beard, reminding Dale of some sort of mountain man out of folk lore if he hadn't been wearing the latest European style in robes with French-cut sleeves and so tall that he made even Dale's imposing height looked dwarfed. Despite the fancy clothes, his hands were large and weathered, and his boots and the ankles of his pants were covered in mud. Despite someone's obvious attempts at trying to smarten the man up, it was obvious that it was the sort of man that would feel a lot more comfortable standing in a river of muck hunting Riverbottom Seps than the sort you'd expect around a tea table.

"I bet I know who that is," Lucky said when they got closer. "I think I met his son before," she explained, Dale gazing at her curiously. Sagittari glanced up and waved them over, the man standing next to him looking up with open interest as they came nearer.

"These are some of the members of the Order of the Owl," Sagittari explained as they came near. "In fact, I believe you know most of their parents, Professor Hagrid…this is Ambrose Bailey, Ashley's son."

"Oh, ya, I heard about ya, got inta Hogwarts early, didya? How did ya manage it?" Hagrid asked with open interest, but Sagittari cleared his throat. "Dale Chance…his mother went here as well, I believe."

"Myrine Mohanan," Dale offered, the man brightening.

"Oh ya, I remember her too. She used ta get inta a lotta trouble for a Ravenclaw," Hagrid chuckled.

"So I've been told," Dale grinned.

"Ted Glass's daughter, Pimra," Sagittari nodded to the girl grinning timidly a step behind Dale.

"And a Ravenclaw, of course," Hagrid grinned.

"And these are Percival Weasley's daughters Constance and Helena," Sagittari said. Hagrid beamed and got ready to say something, but then stopped and blinked. He then leaned all the way over to stare at Helena, who watched him nervously as he stared agape at the Slytherin crest on her robe. He then looked at her hair, looked at Connie, then back over at her, furrowing his brows.

"What in blazes are you doin' in Slytherin?" he finally asked when he got over the initial shock.

"Just dared to be different, I guess," Helena said with a shrug and a grin. Hagrid squinted at her. Connie pointedly put an arm around her sister with a smile and Hagrid stood back up.

"Guess there's a first time for everythin' then," Hagrid said, chuckling uncomfortably.

"And this, Professor Hagrid, is Fortuna Snape," Sagittari said, Hagrid soon turning with renewed interest. After seeing how he had studied Helena, Lucky watched him guardedly.

"Oh, you're Lucky, then!" Hagrid said cheerfully, and Lucky smiled weakly. "Heard all about you, a'course, not to mention yer um…well, actually, I'm here to help ya find your familiar, as a matter o'fact, an' I got some ideas on how t'keep him locked up when he needs ta be, too."

"Oh, ya?" Lucky said with obvious interest.

"In fact, I could probably use all of yer help if yer up for it. As I was just explainin' to the good doctor here, I'm thinkin' the easiest way is for you ta replant Sprouts garden with a few varieties of herbs I got in mind with sedative properties but still might be tasty ta a hungry rabbit. With any luck, the next times he comes out for a nibble he'll fall asleep, an we can catch him then," Hagrid said.

"That's a great idea!" Ambrose said enthusiastically, while some of the others were wondering how much 'help' they were going to have to provide.

"Good! So, I'll have a word with Sprout and get the plants yer gonna need, then while you're replantin' that, I'll see about comin' up with a cage that even this rabbit can't get out of," Hagrid said. Connie, Pimra and Helena all gave Lucky a dirty look, realizing that she had somehow got them roped into extra work again.

"Wait for me! I want to help too!" Lyra said, trotting over to them.

"My daughter, Lyra of Gemini," Sagittari said.

"Good to see another centaur at Hogwarts at last, Lyra! She looks a lot like her mother, doesn't she?" Hagrid commented.

"You know my mother?" Lyra said with surprise.

"A'course I do. Think I first saw her when she was still your age," Hagrid said, then looked over all the students at once, thinking of all their parents. "Let's get ta work. Ya'll are makin' me feel old," he said with a chuckle.

"I will help you find what you need for the cage, Professor," Sagittari offered solemnly, joining them on their walk to the greenhouses.

It was decided while they worked that it might be beneficial to hold vigil overnight to make certain they caught him before the effects of the herbs wore off. Being a weekend, the Headmaster apparently had little objections, and before evening fell a tent was set up so the students could rest or study for their tests when they weren't checking for Houdini. Ambrose had gone in to let the rest of the order know that all of them were allowed to volunteer for a shift, and before he knew it, practically everyone in the order had invaded the tent (except for Dirk, who apparently felt it might be too distracting when he had a paper due on Monday for Muggle Studies that he hadn't even started on yet.)

Even Boulderdash stopped in long enough to wish them luck and threaten bodily injury if any of them got any dirt on his research materials, the morbid details of the threat making most of the first years' eyes widen while the rest simply grinned at him and waved at him when he left.

"You don't think he'd really do any of that, do you?" Beth asked in a low voice.

"Don't you think Snape would have booted him long ago if he were that sort of goblin?" Gary March snorted, inspecting one of the baskets that Sagittari had left for them.

"This is a lot of fun, isn't it? Never thought of going camping at school, let alone out on the back grounds," Lindsay chuckled.

"Well, don't forget why we're really supposed to be here," Laura said. "In fact, perhaps I'll go out and sniff around a bit."

"Sniff around a bit?" Bobby asked curiously. "What do you think you are, a dog?"

"When I have to be, yes," Laura said and nodded primly to him, walking out the tent flap. Curiously, Bobby followed, Lucky and Ambrose also peering out as Laura took a step forward and began to look hunched over, and within a moment, the others found themselves as the largest green sheepdog that they had ever seen.

"Wow! A Cu Sith!" Ambrose said in awe. "Look at that! Laura's animal form is a faerie dog!"

"Is that why she's green?" Lucky asked, Ambrose nodding to her in reply.

"I thought you had to be a certain age for that?" Dale asked.

"Special circumstances," Lindsay explained, watching as Laura padded off. "She's had that form for several years now. It was safer that way." Dale gazed at her thoughtfully but didn't say anything, standing at the door while some of the others went back in to eat or to hit the books.

"I think I want to learn how to do that!" Ambrose decided as he stood there in the doorway.

"Well, unless there's some sort of life or death situation, you're going to be waiting a few years," Dale chuckled, Ambrose frowning in disappointment.

Lucky wasn't really paying attention to the banter beside her; she was too busy thinking about Houdini and wondering if Laura was having any luck finding him. Suddenly she noticed that Lyra standing away from the greenhouses, looking up at the cloudy skies. Pushing her way outside, Lucky walked over to her, glancing at the overcast sky.

"Ya need to get one of those devaporizing telescopes," Lucky mused.

"What?" Lyra asked.

"You know, one of those telescopes like Professor Sinistra has that lets you look through cloud cover," Lucky said.

"Oh," Lyra said, frowning thoughtfully. "But that would be like cheating, wouldn't it? I mean, weather has a place in the sky as well, you know."

"Please don't tell me you think somehow the weather when someone is born is significant in some way too," Lucky sighed at her.

"Well, not normally, although sometimes it can be," Lyra murmured thoughtfully. Ambrose walked up to them, shivering a bit in the cold and pulling his coat closer to him.

"Rotten night for stargazing, isn't it? Rather a pity, considering it's almost time for the Geminids," Ambrose said.

"Oh, ya, the meteor showers, right?" Lucky said. "Almost forgot about that."

"I was thinking maybe it was connected to my dream somehow," Ambrose explained.

"You had a dream?" Lyra asked.

"Yes, of a falling Gemini twin," he said.

"Oh, that," Lyra said, immediately losing interest. "That was probably just me then," she said, watching as a shadow approached. Ambrose gazed at Lucky questioningly, and she gestured to him, promising to fill him in later. Meanwhile the low shadow suddenly straightened, and the three of them watched as Laura approached.

"Anything?" Lucky asked, but Laura shook her head.

"Not that I could tell, although I could have been putting him off, being in my animal form and all. I think I'll go in the tent and eat."

"Why don't you guys go in too? I'll keep watch," Lyra said. "You do have tests to study for."

"So do you," Ambrose pointed out. "Here, let me get our books and a lantern, and we'll keep watch with you for a bit. Maybe we'll get lucky and the sky will clear up."

"There's a good goal for ya. Learn to control the weather," Lucky smirked.

"I'll put that on my list," Ambrose chuckled, going in.

After an hour or so, Bobby and Lindsay came out to relieve them; and after came Dale and Gary, Pimra and Connie, and even Veronica and Winnie took a turn. But finally the sun rose to a brisk morning, and still there was no sign of the rabbit.

"I give up. I have come to the conclusion that my stupid bunny is smarter than all of us put together," Lucky grumbled sleepily as they all gathered at the table inside the tent and tried to get down a cup of coffee.

"Well, it did sound like a good idea at the time," Ambrose said, but even his enthusiasm seemed dampened by their lack of success.

"Yeah, I agree, but I think it's time to call this," Dale said with a sigh. "Sorry, Lucky."

"Eh, not your fault," Lucky shrugged. "Come on, let's eat first. Then I think I'm gonna go sleep in my own bed for a couple of hours."

"I'm all for that," Ambrose agreed with a yawn. "We can meet up for studying after lunch maybe."

"Watch, the moment we pack up and leave, that rabbit is going to show up," Bobby said wryly as he began to gather his books together. Lucky grimaced, knowing very well it was a good possibility, but knowing it also couldn't be helped. Quickly downing another cup of coffee, Lucky picked up her own stuff, and she and Connie walked up to their rooms while Gary collapsed near the fire in the common room.

Lucky kicked off her shoes the moment she got in the door, tossing her coat and scarf in a pile on the floor before collapsing on her bed when she heard a gasp.

"Lucky, look!" Connie said, and reluctantly sat up to see that Connie was pointing at Houdini's cage. Jumping up, Lucky looked in, a bit disappointed that he wasn't there. But Connie was right; the food dish had been emptied, the water bottle drank out of, and even the paper had been used at some point. Lucky reached in and turned the rabbit's wooly hat inside out, but he wasn't there either. "Lucky, this is really bad."

"Huh? How is this bad?" Lucky asked. "At least I know he ate."

"Don't you see? He made it in here last night because who he's afraid of didn't spend the night in here. And unless someone got a special leave home this weekend, which I seriously doubt this close to the holidays, that would leave only four Gryffindors out of the Tower last night. Us," Connie said, Lucky staring at her in response. "And that's also why he didn't show up in the garden last night either. Whoever it is was with us. Lucky, you haven't…"

"No," Lucky interrupted quickly. "You?"

"No," Connie answered just as quickly. "And I think we can safely rule Gary out, which means there's only one person it can be. But… but how? And who?" she asked, obviously getting more upset by the minute. But Lucky shook her head with a sigh and sat down.

"Would ya believe I know the answers to both those questions?" Lucky said.

* * *

Lyra went back behind the hut and refreshed herself, taking a shower and putting on a clean shirt before going in for breakfast to find her father already in the kitchen.

"Any luck?"

"No, none at all," Lyra said. "But I did have fun, all the same! The inside of the tent was larger than your hut, father!" she said in obvious amazement.

"Yes, typical spatial displacement magic. But never mind that, I have something important to speak to you about this morning before you return to your studies," he said, dishing her up a bowl of hot cereal before getting one of his own.

"Really? What about?" Lyra asked curiously.

"About what we will be doing for the upcoming holiday. For the Solstice," he explained, Lyra becoming completely intent. "For I have decided that perhaps it would be best if the two of us went abroad for the duration."

"Abroad?" Lyra said in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We are going to go visit my other home…the place I studied at when I left our constellation originally. We'll be going to the Constellation there on my adopted constellation on Crete," Sagittari explained.

"Crete?" Lyra said, immediately alarmed. "But that sounds far! Why must we go there?"

"It is far, yes, but not so much using the wizard port key system," Sagittari assured her. "We can easily get there in a couple of stations and a short boat ride."

"But I don't like boats. We might get shipwrecked," Lyra declared. "I'm not good enough in Transfiguration to get shipwrecked!" Sagittari blinked at her in confusion.

"I don't know what you're referring to, but getting shipwrecked on those islands is quite unlikely. There's always fisherman and pleasure boats about and I have scarves that will protect us from being identified by Muggles should we have cause to bump into them, Lyra. Besides, I thought you would be pleased. You always liked to hear stories of our homelands when you were little."

"I'm not little any more Father, I'm grown up. I don't want to go away, I want to stay and attend the Constellation here," Lyra said angrily.

"We are not invited, and you will not speak in that tone to your father, Lyra," Sagittari said sternly.

"You may have not been invited, but mother is expecting me back!" Lyra snapped, Sagittari staring at her in surprise. "My brother is going to Constellation this year, and I want to go too!"

"Whether your brother goes or not has nothing to do with you. How exactly do you know this? For I did not…"

"Try reading the stars, Father! That's what they're there for! Or have you forgotten?" Lyra asked.

"Enough, Lyra! It is not like you to act so dishonorably," Sagittari snapped.

"I am not the one dishonored, Father, you are," Lyra snapped back. "And I am going to Constellation here."

"You are going to Crete, Lyra, whether you want to or not!" Sagittari said back firmly. Just then there was a slow but heavy knock on the door. Lyra folded her arms and stepped further back from the door, refusing to look at her father anymore as he reluctantly went to answer it.

He opened the door to see a very somber Rubeus Hagrid, standing beside Lucky and Connie, their telltale pale faces revealing that their argument had been louder than Sagittari had intended.  
"Yes, what is it? Have you found the rabbit?" Sagittari asked quietly.

"No, but it's not important at the moment. All a matter'o time on that. Mind if I have a word with Lyra a second? In yer office, if ya can spare it," Hagrid added, a look of terror suddenly going through Sagittari's eyes as he stared at his daughter aghast, while she simply lifted her head proudly. Lucky and Connie glanced at the ground, wishing they were anywhere else but where they were at that moment.

"Yes, of course, at once," Sagittari said, his eyes still gazing at his daughter unsurely as she walked in. He already knew the answer then, and from the looks of the two girls standing there, so did they. He also knew there were some hard decisions to be made, as reluctant as he was to make any at all. With a heavy heart, Sagittari waited for Lyra to come out. He spoke with his daughter briefly and then sent the three girls to the castle. After having a quiet talk with Hagrid, Sagittari then went inside to speak with the Headmaster.


	25. Starfall

_A/N This is the SECOND chapter released today...Vigil on a Cloudy Night is first._

_It's also the chapter (if the silence from you guys is any indication) that you all have been bracing yourselves for for several chapters now. Because of that, I decided to go ahead and release it...considering all the warnings, however, I doubt you'll find the outcome surprising. That said, there's also a bit in here where you get to see Severus actually playing Headmaster to a student, and I haven't really had the opportunity to do that much...hope you enjoy it...sorry, you don't get the aftermath of this bomb til tomorrow, I'll let you guys chew on it a bit. JCWriter._

Chapter Twenty-Five

Starfall

Hermione and Severus were going over holiday plans of who was going, staying, and schedules when the knock came. Severus distractedly waved the doors open to see no one standing there. Frowning, Severus glanced at the appointment book and then concentrated on the room. A second later, Sagittari Apparated up.

"Thank you, Professor. There is something important I need to speak to you about…and Professor Weasley as well, actually, since it concerns one of her students," he said solemnly.

"Does this have to do with the possibly pregnant Gryffindor?" Hermione asked after shutting the doors again. Sagittari sighed.

"Rather more than possibly I'm afraid. Professor Hagrid confirmed it himself," Sagittari said, Severus squinting in response.

"Hagrid?" Hermione said in surprise. "Why Hagrid?"

"Because he is not allowed to practice medicine on his own kind, Hermione," Severus said evenly. Hermione gazed between them before deciding to sit down. "I thought we had her on a potion to keep her from being tempted?"

"She said that her stars did not acknowledge their presence, so she stopped taking them, although I imagine the fact that one of her constellation's young stallions had followed her here had something to do with it as well," Sagittari said solemnly, Severus shaking his head.

"Shouldn't she at least be starting to question that stars lead her fate by now? Surely what she's seen here is causing some sort of impact on the girl," Hermione said worriedly.

"I had been hoping that your daughter would be a good influence on that aspect of her development as well, Severus, but when Lyra mentioned to me that she had been seeing Hermius, Lucky didn't seem at all surprised," Sagittari said.

"Maybe not, but I don't think Lucky knew how serious it was, Sagittari, or Lucky would have never come to me about the rabbit thing to begin with," Hermione said.

"Either way, I am uncertain what to do. She has become argumentative and difficult to handle, especially when I mentioned my plans to take her to Crete for the holidays. With her stargazer able to go to Solstice, she was asked by the constellation to attend. Under the circumstances that would be unwise, considering what they believe her fate to be," Sagittari said.

"Under the circumstances, I'm not sure that taking her away would be wise, either," Severus said, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully while Sagittari looked at him in surprise. "According to your society, she is an adult now, after all."

"But she is a child! Mated or not, mentally she is still a child!"

"You don't have to convince us of that, we're well aware of it," Hermione said, trying to calm him down.

"Yes, and that's why you need to be especially cautious, Sagittari, on how you handle this. If she is as emboldened by her new status in your constellation as I believe she is, she is more likely to do something rash if you continue to press her. Let your trip to Crete fall by the wayside for now, and don't give her any more reason to rebel, for I feel that would be disastrous right now," Severus said.

"Staying would be disastrous. If she goes back to the constellation, they would never let her return! I also have no intention of giving her the opportunity of seeing her stargazer, either. I am canceling any activities she had outdoors and will escort her back and forth from my residence myself," Sagittari said, Severus' black eyes suddenly flashing strangely in response.

"Putting aside the infeasibility of such a request, Doctor, my school is not a prison and I refuse to let it be used as such. As much as I understand your concerns in this matter, we also can't be expected to keep her here if she doesn't want to stay," Severus said, getting up. "I think I'm going to have a little talk with her. I'll get back to both of you once I'm done."

Several Gryffindors looked up in surprise when Headmaster Snape came into the common room, wondering what was up. Gary March, who was in his normal position of laying on the couch with his legs thrown over one of the arms of the couch gaped at him openly, propping himself up on his elbows. Snape paused and eyed him disapprovingly.

"I suppose it would kill you to actually use a piece of furniture in a manner that it was intended for, Mr. March?" Snape asked.

"No, Professor. But it probably wouldn't be comfortable either," Gary commented. Snape snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor, and reluctantly he swung his legs around and sat up, watching as the Headmaster continued to Lyra's door and knocked on it. Experimentally he tried the knob, unsurprised to find it locked, knocking again.

"Lyra, it's Headmaster Snape. It won't hurt you to talk. Don't worry, you can let me in, I'm a Scorpio," the Professor said. Gary blinked at that, wondering what that would have to do with anything. But a moment later, they heard the latch click and Snape opened the door to find her dutifully standing by the desk and staring at her homework, although from her depressed state it was obvious that she wasn't making much progress.

"What sky?" Lyra asked quietly.

"The night the Dragon Wept," Snape said quietly, closing the door after himself.

"So that must mean you travel a long and perilous road," Lyra said thoughtfully. "The Dragon normally doesn't weep for Scorpio, it weeps for Libra." Snape didn't comment at first, too busy taking out a small stool from his pocket and elongating it enough that he could comfortably sit at the table across from her.

"The Draconid meteor shower was exceedingly late that year, due to outside influences on the comet that causes them. No one is quite sure what put it out of orbit, but a group of wizards righted it again. The Muggles looked for it on the incorrect date and got a disappointing show, only for them to get an impressive shower when they weren't expecting it. They called it a periodic wobble, corrected by its own gravitational orbit or something or other," Snape said. "Just as well we fixed it, or it might have come a little too close and we might have lost half of Canada or something. Do you suppose anyone would have missed it?" he asked casually, Lyra simply shrugging since she had little idea what he was talking about. "I wonder though, how you feel about that, Lyra… considering that the wizard community gave the comet a bit of a nudge to keep us from a possible disaster, would that not mean that such an action would mean that they are influencing the future for all star readings of everyone born during the Draconids after that time."

"Perhaps it was in their destiny to put the sky into balance again. Just as it had been yours to correct the sky when Ciardoth stole the stars," Lyra said, Snape looking thoughtful. "Besides, it sounded to me the if they did it to stop a disaster of some sort, they already had changed the future to begin with."

"Yes, Lyra, that was the point I was trying to make," Snape said. "Tell me, what is it that makes you so convinced that the stars know your path in life?"

"Because it's the truth," Lyra said with surprise. "What they say will happen always does."

"They didn't tell of Ciardoth," Snape pointed out.

"Because she was not of this universe," Lyra nodded. "But I was born under these stars."

"But how could they possibly know you? They are but large balls of fire in the sky, light years away…and not all of what you see as stars are truly even stars at all. They're not suns like ours. Some are nebulas…great fields of glowing gas too far to distinguish with the naked eye…many of them are quite beautiful though. You can see them through a telescope. And curiously enough, some of those stars that you see at night may not even be glowing anymore in reality. They may have long burnt out, or turned into pulsars or black holes or nebulas of their own, only we don't realize it because they are so very far that it will be thousands of years before anyone realizes it."

"Does the moon not influence the tides then?" Lyra challenged him with a proud spark in her eye. "Does it not influence the behavior of creatures on this planet, not to mention werewolves and other animals to take up its call? And does the sun's rotation not affect when we sleep or awaken or when we get up or work and inspire emotions depending upon where it is? Just because those suns are farther doesn't mean it doesn't have influence upon our lives." Snape gazed at her musingly.

"Perhaps you do have a point," Snape said with a solemn nod. "But that said, just because they may have influence in our lives doesn't mean we always heed them. For example, your father has great influence on your life, does he not?" he asked. Lyra frowned, choosing not to answer. "And his beliefs also greatly influence your beliefs. But do you always agree with him, or even heed him? If you did, I don't believe you would be in the particular position you are in right now. Was it the stars that influenced your decision to go against him and seek a mate now, knowing it would cause complications later? Or was it the influence of Hermius that you listened to?"

"A bit of both," Lyra said evenly, still holding her head up proudly.

"Yes, and Hermius, I think, was listening to the influences of your constellation over what he saw in the stars as well. He wanted to be able to go to Solstice this year instead of being forced to wait until a more appropriate time, and he wanted to be with you regardless of what hardship it might bring upon you," Snape said.

"One doesn't always have control over who they are drawn to," Lyra said.

"Yes, true enough," Snape said distantly, then focused in on the girl again. "And what of you, Lyra? What is it that you want? Do you want to go to school and be a witch still, or is that something you don't care to pursue any longer?"

"I do want to be a witch," Lyra said slowly. "But I want to be a centaur as well."

"Lyra, you are a centaur, no one can take that away from you," Snape said evenly. "No matter what happens or what influences you listen to or what you decide, you are what you are. And if you want to become a witch as well, you can still do so…although I do hope you have the sense to keep your condition a secret, for it'll be far easier for me to keep you in school if it isn't readily known. Being a centaur, you're not likely to lose your magic like witches do since you are of magic instead of just using it, so it should be fairly easy to keep hidden for a while. But what I don't want is for you to be here because of your father's influence or the stars' influences or any other influence other than your own. Stay because you want to stay, Lyra, and for no other reason."

"I do want to stay…" Lyra said hesitatingly.

"But?" Snape asked.

"But I want to be allowed to go to the Constellation too! I want to see my mother, and I want to support my brother and my stargazer by going," Lyra blurted out.

"And what if you looked up at the sky this very night and the stars told you that you were fated to go to Crete with your father. Would you still want to stay?" Snape asked seriously. Lyra thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.

"I would still want to stay," Lyra said slowly.

"In that case, Lyra, I fully support your decision," Snape said. Lyra immediately brightened.

"Then I can go?" Lyra asked.

"Well, ultimately that is still up to your father, Lyra," Snape said quietly, her face falling as quickly as it had brightened. "However, I will do what I can to convince him that keeping you here is the right thing to do. I can even help by offering an escort, since my son Aurelius is not restricted from the Dark Forest as the rest of us, for even in the winter, the forest is no place for a student to travel alone, centaur or not. Of course, there is no guarantee I can get him to change his mind. Just as the influences of the stars and your father only go so far on your decisions, if his mind is made up, my influence may not help either." Lyra nodded silently again and Snape nodded in turn. "Good, then I believe we've accomplished something. We probably should have had this talk long ago," he admitted, getting up. "Now that that is over with, would you care to see a nebula?"

"Now? Isn't it too early?" Lyra said with surprise.

"Technically, yes, but the telescope in my observatory has a feature rather like omniculars where it can replay back a bit, in this case the last twenty-four hours. I'm sure it will suffice for what I want to show you," Snape said, opening the door. Excitedly, Lyra followed him up the stairs and over to a dragon gargoyle that seemed to tilt its head when they came nearer. "Knowledge is power; ergo, there is nothing more dangerous than a librarian," Snape said, the gargoyle sliding aside. But when Lyra began to follow she hesitated, staring at the spiral staircase with a frown. "It's all right. Give me your hand, and on the count of three I want you to jump. Ready? One…two…"

Lyra stumbled a bit when she jumped at three, more than a little surprise at finding herself at the top of the stairs when the Headmaster had simply stepped onto the bottom one. Fortunately, she had jumped far enough that she had cleared the stair, glancing back down them nervously.

"One more set of stairs to go…a bit narrow," the Headmaster warned. "Jump a tad further this time around. One…two…" On three, Snape made sure he stepped to the side to give Lyra room to land on the deck around the telescope, peering back down the stairs with the same amazed expression. But the Professor was already busy fiddling with the dials and looking through the lenses thoughtfully, while Lyra stared in amazement at the strange machine in front of her.

"Ah, here we are. I can actually pick out several in this quadrant without even turning the thing," Snape said, adjusting the height a bit and realigning it to make it easier for Lyra to see. "Come look, Lyra," he said, and cautiously she peered inside before gaining immediate interest, staring in awe at the billowing dark clouds and glowing colors surrounding them "That is part of the Eagle nebula, it lies in one part of the Serpens constellation," he explained quietly.

"This is in Serpens?" Lyra repeated, staring in awe at the beautiful shapes and light.

"Yes and it's about…" Snape paused and glanced at another instrument. "Seven thousand years away from us; meaning, the light you are seeing now was created seven thousand years in our past." Lyra slowly looked back over at him, frowning in confusion. "Let me find another."

"Something a little younger?" Lyra suggested, watching as he adjusted it again and then moved out of her way.

"Cat's-eye, in Draco. Probably about half the age of the last," Snape said. Lyra couldn't help but be surprised at how different this one looked compared to the last one.

"This one is a nebula as well?" Lyra asked.

"Oh, yes, most nebulas are quite unique, just like clouds on our own planet, although these of course can be caused by any numbers of ways…explosions in space, or lingering stardust after a new solar system is formed, or perhaps pressure caused by a binary star system, which is one of the theories behind that one," Snape said, watching her carefully. "Care to see the one in the Lyra constellation?"

"There's one in Lyra?" she said excitedly, quite impatient by the time he finally got it realigned again.

"Ring nebula, slightly closer than the last, only two thousand or so years ago," Snape explained as Lyra peered in and stared at the rainbow colors.

"I see why they call it a ring," Lyra murmured. "Is there one in Gemini?"

"Um, yes. It is hard to get very clear, but I'll try if you like. It looks rather like the one in Draco, only much fainter with two obvious parts. Stand back here a bit, Lyra, so I can turn the thing around."

"How far is it?" Lyra asked curiously, watching as he somehow managed to rotate the large machine.

"About four thousand five hundred years or so," Snape said when he finally got it aligned.

"But, that goes back to around when my race was born," Lyra said with a frown, staring at the image in the telescope thoughtfully.

"Yes, so it does," Snape said quietly. "But of course there are many that are much older, just like the first one I showed you. And if there was a magic great enough to let you stand at their source this very day, many of those lights would probably be quite different then what we see them here."

"But if that's true, then how can they be influencing us now?" Lyra asked with a frown.

"One might wonder," the Headmaster agreed, turning a few dials to reset it to current time. "Although I'm afraid that is a question you're going to have to answer for yourself, no matter what you choose to believe. It is a question that even were I to ask the other Professors in this school as a group on their opinion, it would more than likely turn into a large argument. Some greatly believe they're a factor in our destinies; some believe they're simply a tool that visionaries can use to focus their own talents to see the future; and still others believe that they are merely lights in the sky, humbling though they may be when we realize just how insignificant we as beings are compared to the immensity and age of the universe. What your answer will be is yours alone to decide," he said firmly. "As much influence as others have on our lives, no one can truly decide what you believe but yourself, Lyra."

"I'm not sure what to believe," Lyra murmured. The Headmaster smiled thinly.

"Come, let me help you back out of my study, then I suggest you get back to your work. It looked as if you still had a lot to do, and you have tests next week," Snape reminded her.

"Yes, Professor," Lyra said, and followed him to the stairs. Within a minute or so she was back in familiar territory on the main staircase and working her way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

Severus stood at the top of the stairs and watched her thoughtfully, his mind quickly turning to Sagittari, uncertain as yet how to convince him to allow her to stay, knowing it would probably prove to be quite difficult. The centaur was afraid, Severus knew…afraid of losing his daughter, and afraid of putting her in more danger. But nothing was more dangerous than not allowing her to make her own decisions right now, young or not. But knowing that and trying to convince a worried father of it were two different things. Pondering it a moment more, Severus glanced at his watch to check the time before walking down to meet Hermione in her office, getting her up to date before then heading outside to see Sagittari.

But the centaur wasn't in his hut. Rather he was in the barn doing chores, although it was at least obvious to Severus that it was more a way of calming himself down rather than the creatures needing any special attention.

"I see you're hard at work," Severus said, leaning against the door thoughtfully.

"I thought I might try taking care of someone who actually appreciated it for a change," Sagittari said with obvious agitation.

"Yes. I know that feeling well," Severus said dryly.

"Did you speak with her?" Sagittari asked, pausing to change brushes. Severus nodded thoughtfully. "What did you learn of she and Hermius?"

"Actually, I didn't ask about that," Severus admitted.

"Did you find out why she dumped her potions at least?" Sagittari said.

"No, I didn't ask about that either," Severus said expressionlessly, and Sagittari paused his brushing the Griffin to stare at him.

"Then what in stars have you been speaking of all this time?" the centaur asked with a frown.

"Things of more concern to a Headmaster, actually, such as how she feels about school and assessing her mental state in general," Severus said evenly. "Although I admit those are good questions, it's hardly my place to ask them, is it? I already have six children of my own to play parent to, so I'd rather just do my part of the job and leave the rest to you, if you don't mind." Sagittari stared at Severus a moment before he went back to brushing. "If it's any consolation, after speaking with her, I think it's obvious that she does want to continue her schooling, which is, I believe, in her best interests. It may become a bit tricky next year considering she'll more than likely miss the first month or two, but that's something we can sort out before we get to that point. There is one thing that has been troubling her, however, that I would like to voice an opinion on, and that is her desire to go to the Solstice Constellation to see the rest of her family. I believe you should consider letting her go."

"Positively out of the question," Sagittari said firmly.

"And why is that?" Severus asked.

"Is that not obvious, Severus?" Sagittari said with exasperation. "Because they will attempt to keep her there! Because they will do nothing but reinforce the dark prophesies that have been placed upon her! You of all wizards knows what comes of that line of thinking."

"Yes, I do," Severus said evenly. "But I also know that the first step to breaking free of those sorts of prophesies is allowing oneself to make one's own decisions on what to do with one's life. She needs to have the free will to make her own choices."

"What would you know of that, Severus? You haven't been making your own decisions for years," Sagittari retorted angrily, backing up to put away the brushes and nodding with satisfaction to see the pasty look on the Headmaster's face. "And as you already pointed out, Lyra is my daughter, not yours. It is not your place to say what's best for her, and any plans I have for myself and my daughter over a school holiday is none of your business. If you are comfortable with keeping Lyra in school, then I am grateful for that. But do not ask me to surrender her to a constellation that has doomed her to death. You cannot ask that of me, Severus!"

Severus stood there with a stony expression on his face, debating all the possible ways to respond but not finding any that had any chance at all at getting through to him. Reluctantly, Severus walked away. Perhaps once he had a day to cool off, Severus mused. Sagittari had, after all, a very long day, and perhaps he would be open to reason tomorrow. But the words he had spoken at the end also haunted him, and Severus found himself standing in the corner of his study, contemplating his pipe and a book or violin, despite the fact that he knew neither option would be enough to soothe him.

Over the next few days, Severus found all sorts of occasions to wander down to see Sagittari, deciding to work on getting him to accept the idea of her making her own decision rather than press about Solstice itself. But Severus discovered that only had the effect of Sagittari attempting to convince his daughter that his was the right decision, which was not making things better at all. It wasn't long before the staff began to bring up her listlessness, and although she had done fair on her tests, she was doing nowhere near what any of them knew she was capable of.

Jennifer peeked out of the door of their bedroom to find Severus brooding by an open window, staring out distantly into the chill snowy evening.

"Trouble?" she asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh, not really, not in so many words. Someone uncovered something interesting at Artifacts having to do with the flute, but I already sent them an Owl letting them know now isn't a good time for me to go down there. I'm having them copy it and send it here instead," Severus explained, not turning away from the window.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to leave," Jennifer sighed softly. "If only Sagittari would listen."

"He's not going to listen no matter what I say. He is quite set on doing whatever it takes to protect his daughter whether we agree with his methods or not, and technically we have no say in the matter," Severus brooded. "And then there's Lyra…confused, caught between worlds, and what's worse, caught between ideals. I tell her she has the right to make her own decisions only for her husband to tell her that her duties and life belong to the constellation, while her father insists his word is the only one that matters."

"Lyra is a stubborn, strong-willed girl, Severus, and she is starting to believe she has some right to her own life," Jennifer said, putting down the books in her hand and going over to him. "I wouldn't put it past her to stand up to him."

"That could be dangerous right now," Severus said, trying unsuccessfully to shrug off Jennifer's hands on his shoulders.

"I know. And stop doing that, you're so tense," Jennifer scolded him, kneading his back in spite of his efforts. "She does seem to have a growing faith in you, though. Whatever you said to her last week must have really hit home with her."

"That only makes it worse if I can't get through to him, Jennifer," Severus sighed. "What is she going to believe if he doesn't back down?"

"Whatever she wants to believe, Severus. And you're doing everything you can, no one doubts that…except maybe yourself, that is," she said, shaking her head slightly at him. He turned and gave her a dirty look but she turned his head back around, massaging his shoulders. "Now stop fighting me and let me do this. You are a rock, but I really do need to mark those tests at some point tonight, because I'm not going to have time to do it all tomorrow night. Figures that I'd have fifth years so late in the week. I'll probably be up all night trying to get those lab results up on those test potions before they leave," she sighed, but was finally beginning to feel she was making some progress.

"Oh, I don't know, Jennifer," Severus mused, his voice no longer having that agitation in it. "You can be very persuasive at times. I'm certain you can probably talk some old professor or another into helping you mark those with the right motivation."

"Why, Severus!" Jennifer tsked at him with a smile but not letting up on his back. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were actually flirting with me. Then again, considering how long it's been since you really noticed me, I could be wrong."

"Well, you are the one insisting on relaxing me whether I wanted to or not, so you only have yourself to blame," Severus said. "And it hasn't been long since I've noticed you. It's difficult not to notice you, we spend every waking moment short of work together." Jennifer paused, putting a hand on her hip.

"Was that a complaint? Have we gone from flirting to complaints without even changing the subject? Goodness, Severus, you are so moody lately!" Jennifer said. Severus sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it to come out that way. I would still like to put work aside for awhile," he said sincerely. Jennifer stopped and smiled gently, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Considering how rare it is that you want to put work aside, I am certainly not going to argue with you," Jennifer said. Severus hesitated.

"You would let me know, though, if you didn't want to spend time with me, wouldn't you?" Severus asked seriously.

"Oh, honestly!" Jennifer said with exasperation, coming around and kissing him lovingly. But even as he returned it, the strange stiffness came into his back again. Jennifer, not knowing what to make of it, decided to ignore it in favor of the opportunity to be close to him, little realizing that it might be the last.

For it was the very next evening as Severus was fervently trying to get the last of his paperwork done before the break that the surly owl from the Archives department dropped off a note containing several runes so surprising to him that he decided to allow himself an hour to go down there, stopping only to let Hermione and Jennifer know he was going out for a short time before slipping away. And it was at that moment that Lyra, having finally finished the last of her tests, had made her way to past her father's hut only to hear her name being called. Reluctantly, Lyra peered in to find him preparing a large food basket, gesturing for her to come in.

"All done? Did you do well?" Sagittari asked.

"I hope so, Father," Lyra said. "What is all this for?"

"I have come up with a compromise," Sagittari said, wrapping up some cheese to put inside. "Since I have already let my adopted family know we're coming to visit, we will go to Crete for a few days, then I will bring you back to attend the Constellation, and bring you back to spend the rest of the holiday on the island. Is that satisfactory?"

"But I will be back here for Solstice?" Lyra asked carefully.

"Yes, I will bring you back and take you myself, assuming you still want to go at that point," Sagittari said. Lyra frowned, not liking the way he said that at all.

"Taking me yourself? Wouldn't it make more sense to ask the Rider to escort me? Professor Snape said he would, if we asked…"

"There is no need to trouble him with it, Lyra. I will take you if need be," Sagittari said, finishing the basket and turning to clean up the kitchen.

"Can I at least see if Hermius is around so I can tell him I can go?" Lyra asked.

"I thought I asked you not to see him?" Sagittari snapped, turning around and looking at her with a disapproving frown. "It is not right for him to seek you out at the school. There will be more appropriate times for that."

"But I can go to the Constellation to see him?" Lyra asked again unsurely.

"I said you could if you wanted, did I not? Now, why don't you go get your book satchel and anything you want to take, not that you'll truly need anything. You might even ditch your shirt if you like once we get there, and there will be a lot of mares your own age to speak with. Come, get your things, we'll be leaving soon, you need not stay for tomorrow. You'll find out your test scores when we get back from Crete," Sagittari insisted.

"Maybe I can run in and check them when we come back for Solstice?" Lyra asked.

"Go get your things," Sagittari said again.

But once Lyra turned around and walked back inside the castle, the more she thought of what her father had said, the more wrong it sounded to her. Why would he be unwilling for her to tell Hermius if he had relented his decision to let her go? And why would he take her all the way to Crete only to have to turn around and bring her back again? Wouldn't it make more sense simply to wait and go afterwards? And why would he be so willing to take her himself, knowing how unwelcome he was to attend? Lyra found herself walking slower and slower as she thought about it, wanting so badly to give her father the benefit in the doubt. But the more she thought of it, the more she was certain that the compromise was some sort of ploy just to get her there, knowing that once she went that he would probably be able to convince her to stay the duration. He would take her himself? Assuming she wanted to? Centaurs, as a general rule, didn't lie… not that they weren't capable of it, but because they knew that the stars would soon betray them by showing those around them the truth. Lyra stopped short and turned around, wondering if it was clear enough to get any reading at all. She skirted the castle to get as far north as possible before turning to look at it, and although there were clouds scattered in the sky, there were also large breaks… large enough for her to know that something was dreadfully wrong.

Lyra galloped back inside the castle and walked quickly to the main stairs, passing the Gryffindor Tower and further and further up until she saw a familiar corridor and followed it to the dragon gargoyle, saying the password and walking in, hesitating at the spiral staircase, gazing up at the doors above.

"Professor!" she shouted, her front hoofs on the bottom of the stair and hopping experimentally, but the spiral stair was still there. She lifted her wand, using it to cast a simple knocking spell on the door and waiting. A moment later, it seemed to open on its own accord, but nothing else happened. "Professor, please! It's important!" she shouted again. She grew quiet and still, waiting for any sound, but she couldn't hear a thing despite the fact the doors were wide open. And although she shouted a third time, it was obvious to her by then that no one was there.

Lyra stood there silently, wondering what to do. _What do you want to do, Lyra? _Lyra thought, remembering her conversation with the Headmaster before. _I want to go home,_ Lyra answered herself, and then turned and climbed back down the main stairs.

Carefully avoiding her father's hut, Lyra ran into the Dark Forest, tempted to call for her stargazer but very afraid that her father might hear her in the process and try to stop her. Where was the trail to the Glen, she wondered. She had never been in this part of the forest except the day her father had brought her there, and she knew that the centaurs winter camp was quite far from the castle. But the Glen was close to this side, she knew, and if she could find that, she was pretty sure she could find the way back to the camp. She wandered further in, a bit frustrated that the snow was so heavy that it had managed to escape even the pine tree branches, making it much harder to see any trails. But at last, and with some relief she was able to find the brook, despite the fact she had no way of knowing how far along it she was. It was quite dark now, and getting darker by the second, so she decided to follow it for a while until she came across something familiar.

She didn't remember it winding so much. Near the centaur's winter camp, the brook was wider, and much more straight. Where could she be? Surely she should have hit the Glen by now, she thought to herself, wondering if she would get lucky enough to see a Unicorn that might lead her back to where she needed to go, but no Unicorns seemed to be in his part of the forest. The trees were imposing and very close together, so when the brook seemed to open up into a swampy terrain in front of her, it was with a bit of relief.

"I must be in Spiderhead Swamp," she murmured to herself, her voice sounding strange in her ears. Even in the middle of winter with so many of the trees skeletonized, there was a close, stifling feeling there, and there was a curious stench in the area. "How did I manage to end up here instead of the Glen? Well, at least I'm halfway back," she reasoned to herself, more than a little nervous that the strange smell seemed to be getting stronger as she attempted to skirt the area. But when she got further along, she suddenly stopped; for even in the pale moonlight she could tell that the ground had changed up ahead. "How very strange! Why isn't the water frozen here?" she said, pulling a hoof out of the thick swamp mud. "I wonder what is keeping it from freezing? And why does the ground seem to be moving over there?" Gingerly doing her best to keep out of the mud, Lyra decided to take a closer look. But as she neared the strange ground, a shape suddenly rose out of the mud and reached for her, her scream of surprise and terror cut short.

* * *

"Jennifer!" The sound of galloping hooves had alerted Jennifer to Sagittari's presence before he had even called out, dropping the tests she was working on and leaping up the dungeon stairs to where he stood. "Jennifer, have you seen Severus? I can't find Lyra!"

"He went to the Ministry for something, why, how long has she been missing?"

"I sent her to her room to get some things so we could leave an hour ago, and she hasn't come back. The Fat Lady says she didn't make it to her room, and I'm afraid…I'm afraid she might have run away. I'm going to the constellation."

"Oh no, she went into the forest by herself? Wait, Sagittari, you shouldn't go by yourself either…here you…" Jennifer ran over to the nearest painting in the hall. "Contact Alicia Pyther and tell her to get Aurelius Snape to the cabin at once, we have a missing student. Tell her it's Lyra and she probably tried to get home, but if she can double check that through the paintings, it'd be advisable."

"Yes, Professor Craw," the wizard in the painting said and disappeared. Jennifer flipped her watch open, glancing at Severus' hand and sighing with relief.

"Severus is on the grounds, he probably just got in. Why don't you go meet him at the door? I'm going to run up and grab the map," she said and then dove up the stairs while Sagittari ran back down the hall.

She was more than a bit surprised to find the doors open, wondering if Severus hadn't keyed up instead until she realized no one in there. A bit baffled but knowing there was no time to lose, Jennifer grabbed the map and began to flip through it, noticing Severus and Sagitarri walking towards his hut together before she ran down to meet them with the map still in her hand.

"Sanctions be damned, Severus! I don't care what they do if they catch me in the forest, I'm going in as well!" Sagittari's voice boomed through the open doorway as Jennifer approached.

"Fine, then we'll go together, because I am not letting you go in there alone," Severus said firmly as Jennifer walked in, noticing what she had in her hand. "No luck, I assume?"

"I hardly went room by room, but honestly, I don't think she's here," Jennifer admitted.

"No, neither do I," Severus said.

"Mum? Father?" The two of them looked up at the Cretan painting to see Alicia standing there. "Mum, I dropped Aurelius off at the forest cabin…it was the closest painting to her. He's gone to get Pali."

"If she's in that forest by herself at night, we need to get moving, centaur or no centaur, she's hardly been trained in the dangers that lie out there," Severus said. "Jennifer, I need you to stay here with the map in case she finds her way back here and if so, keep her here. Get in touch with Aurelius by the mirror if you find her, I'm sure he can get word to us."

"Alright, Severus, please just go find her," Jennifer said worriedly, watching by the door a moment as they left and then sat at the table and began pouring over the map.

With a simple touch, Aurelius already knew from Pali that none of the Unicorns had seen Lyra that night. They kept nearer to Keki's Grove that time of year, and although Cody had thought he had picked up a faint centaur sent earlier near the brook, that was hardly unusual. Still, it was the only clue they had, so Aurelius hoisted himself up on Pali's back and immediately followed Cody back to where he had been at last; around a bend near part of the Glen farthest away from the castle. They wandered the area thoughtfully for a moment, until Aurelius saw heavy hoof prints in the snow that were much to deep to have been left by a Unicorn. Pali nickered to let Aurelius know there were others near, so he and Aurelius turned to meet up with Severus and Sagittari who had just arrived on the castle side of the Glen.

"I believe I have found her trail," Aurelius told them. "Perhaps an hour old, following the brook upstream, but away from the Glen. It looks as if she missed it by yards, and she's not following the path."

"Show us," Severus said, having to run to keep up with the other two as they went over back across the frozen brook to where her footprints were. But as they hurried along and followed the path further up, Severus began getting an intense feeling of dread.

"Why is she still following the brook?" Sagittari asked anxiously.

"She must have thought she was closer to your camp than she was," Aurelius murmured distantly from where he and Pali rode a few feet away. Suddenly Pali whinnied. "There is a distinct smell coming from beyond us."

"We're getting close to that swampy area near where we fought those harpies way back when," Severus said.

"I don't like this. Pali doesn't want to be here," Aurelius said as the stallion became obviously more restless. "He says there's danger."

"Lyra!" Sagittari called out worriedly, trying to run ahead despite the narrow path through the trees, leading them down to the edge of the frozen swamp. But when Severus finally managed to catch up again, he stared at the swamp in horror, noticing the area where the water was still dark and murky.

"Wait, Sagittari! There's a Bogwight in the area!" Severus shouted, taking out his wand.

"NO! LYRA!" Sagittari shouted again, taking off the Spear as he thundered past. But suddenly, he stopped short at the edge of the unfrozen swamp, for just ahead lay nothing but untrodden snow. "LYRA!" he shouted again, looking around frantically at the scuffled ground. Just then, the mud itself began to draw itself up, and for a split instant, Sagittari thought he could almost make out his daughter's face in the muddy creature rising before him.

"_Assiccarus belapalus!" _Severus intoned, snapping it towards the Bogwight, which began to grow stiff and cracked as the drying spell took hold.

"NO! NO, DON'T! She's in there!" Sagittari cried out. Severus quickly ran to his side, using all his strength to try and pull the centaur bank.

"It's too late! It's too late, Sagittari, she's already dead!" Severus shouted at him as the grieving centaur watched in horror as the Bogwight began to succumb to the spell and slowly turned to dust.

"No…no…this can't happen now, not after I tried so hard to save her…she left! She left because I was going to take her away! It is my doing! I should have listened to you Severus!" Sagitarri said, his face streaked with tears of grief and anger.

"No, don't blame yourself, Sagittari, it was an accident…a terrible horrible accident, but an accident nonetheless! The creature was to blame, not you!" Severus said.

"It was not an accident! The stars have defied our attempts and have claimed their prize, and they have used us to do it!" Sagittari said, his anger growing within them. "My Lyra! My poor daughter!" he said, breaking out in sobs again. Severus felt someone move up around him, for Aurelius had at some point dismounted and came over to the other side of Sagittari.

"Come on, we need to get you home," Aurelius said, firmly turning the centaur around. Fortunately, Sagittari was in too much shock and grief to put up much of a fight, and Aurelius easily took the Spear from his hand and put it into its straps before following Pali's lead back up to the Glen.

It didn't take long for Aurelius to realize that Sagittari was not the only one in shock, for despite his dutiful effort to help Aurelius walk the centaur back towards home, Severus was doing little better. No student had ever died since he had been Headmaster before. And he, along with Sagittari, had put her there. He had taken her from her friends and family in hopes of sparing her from her fate. And never had he failed so utterly to do anything about it.

The snow covered ground seemed to get heavier and heavier, and the closer they got to the castle, the stronger Severus felt about wanting to go anywhere but back to the school, knowing what horrible chores awaiting him when he got there informing the staff and the school when he had no hope of coming to grips of what had happened for himself yet. Severus was barely aware of Aurelius murmuring something about Hagrid and slipping away just before they reached the hut, and later didn't even remember the walk from the forest edge to there or how he managed to get Sagittari to walk in on his own. But even as they came in, Sagittari took one look at the basket and broke into deep sobs again while Severus stood by helpless to do anything about it. Jennifer only had to take one look at the centaur before she too realized what happened and was embroiled in her own grief, folding up the map and tucking it away without a word until Aurelius finally came back with Hagrid and a potion in his hand.

"It's all right, I'll stay wif'em and look after'em, Professors," Hagrid murmured quietly, "You all have your own selves and the school ta look after, an' I mi' as well be useful bein' here anyhow. Your Rel's got a Sleeping Potion for him, but I won't leave him, not a minute, don't you worry none about that."

"Thank you, Hagrid, for being here," Jennifer said sincerely, putting a hand on Severus' stiff arm, attempting to ignore the flinch that had come with it.

"No trouble," he said quietly, before stepping over to the centaur as Aurelius walked over with an empty flagon.

"You need me here?" Aurelius asked, glancing worriedly at his father then over to his mother.

"I suppose there's nothing left to be done, but thank you, Rel," Jennifer said softly, Aurelius nodding thoughtfully in return as Jennifer led Severus out, gazing at him worriedly as they walked back towards the castle. Severus was quiet, stiff, and quite unfocused, and although she couldn't read him, the pain he was trying to hide behind his expression was quite clear. "Do you want me to make you up a potion as well, Severus?" she asked quietly.

"Actually, if it's all the same, I think I need some time alone," Severus murmured. "Besides, I need to set up some sort of emergency staff meeting for tomorrow. Why don't you go back to marking those tests and perhaps I'll join you in a little while."

"All right, Severus," Jennifer said reluctantly, not really wanting to leave him alone. Taking his cue when he went to the back stairs instead of the front ones, she went down them as he turned up. But she no more got to her office and put the first set of phials on her desk that she happened to glance at her ring and stared in horror when she saw it had gone completely clear.

Severus climbed several stories before he allowed himself to skip some floors, although he did pause a moment when he got to the spiral stairs, wondering why all the doors were open. He looked inside, but no one was there waiting so he shrugged it off tiredly, sitting in the chair and closing his eyes for a moment before finally pulling the chair up and glancing at his appointment book.

In that instant his blood turned cold as he stared in horror at the entry that read: _Emergency appointment with Lyra of Gemini (Missed). _

"It's my fault," Severus murmured, still staring at the entry. "Dear God, it's my fault! She tried to come to me!" Frantically, he unlocked the bottom of his desk drawer, grabbing the Time-Turner.

"It won't work, Severus," came the voice of Icarus from all around him before he faded into view in front of him. "Everyone has already made their own decisions in the matter, and you've seen things as they truly happened. Going back won't change anything now."

"I am going to go back and fix this!" Severus shouted at him vehemently, throwing on the Time-Turner and disappearing from view. A second later, Jennifer ran in the doorway, looking quite terrified.

"Where's Severus?" she asked, surprised to see the ghost hovering there.

"He'll be in there, when he returns," Icarus said somberly. Not having a clue what he was talking about, Jennifer went over to the sitting room door.

* * *

Severus blinked a moment at the closed doors of this study before grabbing his watch to check the time, staring at it.

"Why am I now? Why am I not further back?" Severus asked himself, staring at the entry in the appointment book that still read the same. He had attempted to take himself back four hours. He ended up going back only one. Growling in frustration, Severus turned it back a few more turns and started it spinning again, staring at it in disbelief when nothing happened at all. Cursing, Severus Disapparated, reappearing in the swamps of the Dark Forest and running at breakneck speed to try and find out where the Bogwight was and dispose of it before it was too late. But suddenly he heard a terrible shriek that abruptly ended, a chill running through him as he reached for the Time-Turner again, trying to bear in on where it had come from.

"Severus, STOP!" boomed a voice, and he felt his hand being wrenched away from the device before he could use it as Merlin appeared in front of him with a stern look on his face. "You must not try again! You will only hurt yourself if you continue!"

"Right now I couldn't give a damn about myself," Severus said, his hands shaking as they tried to work against the Enchanter to turn it.

"Then at least give a damn about free will!" Merlin snapped at him. "You say you believe in it, and yet your actions right now say otherwise! It is not just your own decisions you would be changing this time, but also the decisions of Sagittari and Lyra and everyone else connected to what just happened!"

"She died because of those decisions!" Severus shouted back.

"Everyone dies, Severus! No matter how long or short of a life, sooner or later, everyone dies! It is in the very nature of this universe and you cannot change it! And I will not have you attempting to play God and taking away their right to free will just so you don't have to face the consequences of your own actions in this matter! You have overstepped your boundaries this time, Severus Snape, and apprentice or not, heir or not, you will not interfere anymore even if I have to strike you down where you stand myself!" Merlin said firmly.

"Go ahead! I don't care anymore!" Severus dared him.

Growling in anger, a sudden blast of energy came out of the old man's hands and Severus was flung backwards…and straight against a wall. Severus winced in pain and rubbed where his head hit, blinking when he realized he was in his sitting room and the Time-Turner was snapped in half at his feet. Severus shakily stood, glancing over at the clock to see he had simply been moved; he was still an hour back from where he had started out. But Severus knew better than to try and go back out again, but he also knew he couldn't bear staying there a moment longer knowing his part in Lyra's death.

By the time that time itself caught up with Severus and Jennifer opened the door and stepped into the sitting room, the entire room was nearly packed, thrown into every spare container he could find; every book miniaturized shoved into his Cloak Chest and trunks. Jennifer watched in terror as he popped open his personal closet and tossed out her dresses, miniaturizing the whole thing to save himself the time of having to go through it.

"Severus, what is going on? What are you doing?" Jennifer said in anguish.

"I'm leaving!" Severus snapped. "I'd think that would have been quite obvious!"

"You're leaving the school?" Jennifer asked in disbelief.

"I'm leaving everything!" he shouted back at her. "I'm leaving the school, I'm leaving this stupid underpaid, unappreciated paper-pushing job, and I'm leaving you!"

"What did I do?" Jennifer asked, her voice shaking.

"More to the point, what haven't you done?" Severus retorted, going over to her cloak and taking out her watch with his location on it and tossing it on top of his chest. "You have done nothing but run my life for thirty years! I've given in to every stupid whim or yours, whether I agreed to it or not, been saddled with more children than is decent for anyone to have, including two adoptions which you pressed for without even getting my opinion on them first. I have gotten involved in every single intrigue and fiasco you intentionally blundered into knowing full well I wanted nothing to do with it, and getting one or the other of us nearly killed in the process! And even knowing that, I find myself still running your errands and going on wild goose chases, and this time a student got killed because of it! I wasn't here, Jennifer! I should have been here, and I wasn't here! I was chasing that damned flute and damned ring when I don't even know why I got involved in the first place considering that I can't remember the last time you've ever truly gone out of the way for something I want!"

"What I want is whatever it is you want, Severus!" Jennifer said, nearly going hoarse at trying to shout overtop of him. "In fact, all I've really wanted, especially these last few years, is for you to be happy with your life again! Tell me how to do that and I'll do it!"

"The only thing that will make me happy right now is to get myself the hell away from both you and this castle and to never see either of you again," Severus said crisply, waving all the bags into one neat pile that suddenly disappeared from view before he swept into the Headmaster's Study, quickly penned his letter of resignation, and tossed his school key to the castle on the desk before walking out.


	26. The Act That Followed

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Act that Followed

Jennifer spent a long time against the wall sobbing until she was numb, unable to keep herself from shaking and was wondering what to do. Depression was inevitable; but so, it seemed, was her solidarity that night. After debating actually taking up her father's offer and going over there for the evening to at least try to get some sleep, Jennifer remembered all the potions she had in her office waiting to be marked. She knew that if she waited any longer that not only would she never get their marks posted, but it also would affect some of the scores if she didn't have fresh results.

How exactly she managed to stand and get herself all the way down to the dungeon to do the task before losing her composure again, she wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was the shock of everything that happened that saved her from causing a scene in the halls. But she no more got into her office and started gazing at the test phials that she broke down into a new wave of tears, collapsing in front of her desk when her legs refused to carry her any more.

What she hadn't realized was the fact that her actions hadn't been completely unnoticed. The portrait of Severus had glanced up from his book when she had come in, dropping it after taking one look at her face. He watched her as she fell, helpless to do anything as he came up to the frame and tried beating on the canvas to no avail, throwing books that hit soundlessly against it and slid to the floor of the painting. He was about ready to throw his violin, but then set it back down again, gazing at it thoughtfully.

The portrait then stormed out of the frame, still muttering silently as he went, glancing at the paintings that he traveled through carefully before moving onto the next. He paused in the main stairwell, letting out an inaudible sigh. Finally he snapped his soundless fingers and stalked back to the Service Room, gazing at the paintings until he saw a rendition of Old King Cole. He walked into the painting and straight over to where the three fiddlers were playing a catchy jig, and grabbed one of the fiddles out of one of their hands.

"Hey! That's my fiddle!" the musician complained. Severus simply glared at him then snatched the bow out of his other hand before walking back out of the frame. "Where are you going? I want that back!" he yelled, peering at the other paintings in the Service Hall, wondering where he went. But Severus was already returning to the painting he had come out of, putting the instrument to his chin and drawing the bow over its strings.

As the sound of a violin rang out, Jennifer looked up in surprise, wondering where the noise was coming from. It was then that she happened to look up and her jaw dropped, staring wide-eyed at the painting of Severus as several rather sour notes came from the instrument. Severus frowned, messing with the keys as if to prove that they were to blame.

"How in the world are you doing that?" Jennifer murmured, mystified. "You're supposed to be mute. Oh no! Severus!" Jennifer said, panicking, but the painting quickly stopped her, showing her his other violin and shaking his head at her. "Stars, don't scare me like that! I almost thought…with everything going on…" Jennifer looked away but a quick pluck of a string brought her attention back to the portrait's face. "Explain? I don't think I could explain it all even if I wanted! Severus is gone! He resigned and…and he left me as well. And…a student died. A student died in the forest tonight and it was just too much for him to bear after everything else. He just couldn't take it anymore…he's been so unhappy…with his job, his life, and me," Jennifer said, feeling her eyes burning again and her throat close up. The portrait gazed at her for a long time, letting her get her recover a bit before sliding the bow against the string again, causing her to look up at him. "What?" she asked, a bit surprised at just how intent he was looking at her, his expression so firm and so strong that it was very much like the real Severus used to get when he wanted her to read him. And the key idea behind the expression was so easy to read, and she could even tell that there were deeper thoughts swirling behind the portrait's poignant thought: _this isn't about you._

"How can you think that?" Jennifer sighed at the portrait. "Oh, I know he was lashing out earlier because of pain, but I have played a part in all of this. What do you mean think like Severus? Reason it out?" she said, completely baffled by what she was reading off the painting, not quite sure she was getting it right. "What does Severus hate the most? Well, I suppose it's failing a student, isn't it? Something more basic?" Jennifer frowned. "Failing in general?" The painting shook his head. "Well, I'm sorry, but for the record, it's not easy reading a painting. Nobody is supposed to be able to do it, you know," Jennifer chuckled, but he gazed at her with such reassurance that she knew she wasn't as far off as she was afraid she was. "This isn't about me," she repeated, and he nodded encouragingly again. "This is about what he hates the most. This is about…losing control," she murmured, the portrait's reaction letting her know she had it now. "This is about the fact that he hasn't felt in control over his life…that he's felt trapped by his job, and trapped by all the obligations he has to the school, his friends and his family and myself. It's about the fact that he feels that because of all this, there was only one direction in his life and he had no other options but to follow that path whether he wanted to or not. And it is about failing, too, and the guilt of failing a student and not being able to stop it, but that too is tied to the fact that he feels like he's lost control to the point that he can't even do the one path he sees open to him anymore." The portrait nodded to her again and then glanced away a moment before seemingly nodding to himself and then directing his attention to her again. Jennifer stared at him in bewilderment. "Professor Snape's class notes? What in the world do you want me to look for in there?" she asked, but he simply pointed upstairs. "All right, I'll look, but I don't see how that is going to help me."

Jennifer sighed and got up, watching curiously as the portrait followed her from painting to painting as she worked her way to the Defense room. Wondering how she was going to figure out Pyther's password, she went in to find the door had already been opened. Deciding not to get too nosy on how a painting might arrange that, Jennifer went in, glancing at Severus who was standing in Alicia's portrait.

"Do you need something, Mum?" the portrait of Alicia asked.

"Um, yes, I'm looking for your father's old class notes, actually," Jennifer admitted.

"I think he keeps them in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet," Alicia said. "Which year are you looking for?"

"Um, I'm not sure?" Jennifer said glancing at the portrait. "The last one? Do you even remember the last one? You were painted before that," she chuckled at him but then pulled out a folder, glancing at it thoughtfully. "Oh, I remember this now, Severus. It's the twelve conditions that can lead to a lack of control. You taught all seven years of your Defense classes that year based on this," Jennifer said, thinking back. "And the whole point of it was to teach them that the most important thing to do when you find yourself in a position were you don't have any control is to get yourself back into control and back into a situation where you have as many options as possible. And that's what the real Severus is doing too, isn't it? He's lost control of his life completely, and he left to try and get back in control, and to give himself options again," she said, focusing in on the portrait, who smiled slightly in return. "But he's doing it wrong," she said, Severus raising a brow at her in response. "Meaning, that you don't give yourself more options by burning bridges. If you want control over your life, you have to also have a choice of going in reverse. He has to have all options open if what he's doing right now is going to mean anything…to him, or to anyone else he's connected with. And I'm going to make sure he gets it!"

She turned and hurried out of the room and straight up the stairs while the portrait of Severus curiously attempted to follow behind. Finally he gave up and went straight upstairs instead, and was peering out the portrait of Dumbledore by the time she reached the Headmaster's Study. She strode straight over to the desk and sat down, staring at the resignation letter emotionlessly, pondering it for a moment until finally she raised her wand. She read over the way it was worded carefully one last time until finally she murmured a spell and tapped the letter, watching as the letters began putting themselves in a different order. Carefully she forged a letter or two to fill a gap here and there, very careful not to disturb Severus Snape's signature in any way.

"How does this sound? To whom it may concern: ...sorry, he put that part in himself," she explained when the Headmaster paintings that were awake grimaced at it. "I, Severus Snape, do officially request a leave of absence effective immediately and until further notice due to my part…hang on, let me scratch that… due to the recent student's death as well as… personal reasons?" Jennifer said. The Severus portrait grimaced, knowing there was no way he would write that. "Well, I have to put something that sounds legitimate. How about I just write it off as an academic sabbatical? The board will probably figure out the student death had something to do with it when they hear of it on their own," Jennifer sighed. The portrait agreed that that would work. "Fine, a sabbatical then," Jennifer said, rearranging the letter one more time while Dippet tsked at her.

"You can get in an awful lot of trouble if they find out you forged an official Headmaster letter like that," Dippet pointed out.

"Who's going to complain at this point, Armando? Severus?" Jennifer sighed. "If he wants to come and take his job back long enough to fire me for it, he's more than welcome. Anyhow, there are other things that need taken care of if any of this is going to work…"

"You mean such as finding someone to fill in?" Dippet asked.

"I imagine I can talk Hermione into it, which by the way, has to do with my first request. I need you to get her here as soon as possible. Ask Demura to send for her and let her know it's a dire school emergency and to stuff a pillow in Ron's mouth if he tries to question her about it. I also need you to set up an emergency staff meeting first thing in the morning. We need to set something up in the school for Lyra…" Jennifer said, forcing the wave of depression back that went through her at the thought. "I want every single staff member at that meeting…and I want every single student at breakfast tomorrow morning too, I don't care what the excuses are. And can someone please get one of the House Elves to make some coffee? Anything else you can think of that I need to get done tonight, Severus?" she asked the portrait, and reluctantly he pointed downstairs. "Right, the tests. Let's get back downstairs then. Will someone send Hermione in that direction when she gets here?" Jennifer asked, quickly downing a Wakeful Dose before heading back to the dungeon.

It was less than a half an hour later that Jennifer heard a curious sound of bells in her ears and she looked up from the potion tester and up at the portrait.

"What do you suppose that was?" she asked when she saw it wasn't him. He gestured slightly. "Oh, Hermione just got here? Isn't that odd! I hope they remembered to tell her where I am," Jennifer said, but she needn't have worried. Before she had time to move on to the next test phial, Hermione was at her office door; and before Jennifer finished the rack of potions, Hermione was sitting in Jennifer's most comfortable chair and a cup of soothing tea, wearing a look of pure devastation on her face after hearing everything that had happened.

"This is terrible, I can't believe all this is happening," Hermione murmured, accepting a fresh handkerchief from Jennifer. "I really don't know how you're doing it…standing there and working right now…"

"I'm doing it because I have to," Jennifer said quietly. "What else can we do? When the students wake up this morning, it's going to be…just awful! We need to be careful how we handle what happened to Severus, too. The students are going to need time to deal with Lyra's loss."

"I know, you're right," Hermione said quietly. "And I understand why you did what you did, changing his letter like that. But that's going to put us in an awful position, Jennifer. Who is going to take over as Headmaster?"

"I was rather hoping you would," Jennifer admitted, Hermione staring blankly at her.

"You know, even if I were capable of doing that job, you know the Deputy Headmaster job is no picnic from personal experience. Who is going to do that job then? You?"

"Er, no, I think the bank might revolt if they have to deal with one of my ledgers again. Do you suppose Andrew would make a good Headmaster?" Jennifer mused.

"What? He'd have a girl in the study to try it out in fifteen minutes," Hermione snorted.

"Oh come now, Hermione, surely you're exaggerating…"

"And how long did it take the two of you?" Hermione said, Jennifer wincing. "Sorry."

"No, I'm afraid you have a point," Jennifer admitted. "But surely there must be someone in the castle who can do that job."

"Yes there is. In fact, I would say there's only one person in the castle qualified for the job that the board might actually approve of," Hermione said. "You."

"Me? You don't mean that!" Jennifer stammered.

"Yes, you. Technically, you are third in administration, a senior staff member, and you know the security…not to mention the fact that you've lived with the Headmaster since he took over the job, so you know nearly as much about his job as I do and more about his personal goals for the school than I do. The entire staff respects you, and moreover the majority of the students respect you, and the majority of the board won't blink an eye when I make a recommendation for you to fill in. On top of all that, I refuse to go along with your personal scheme to try and save Severus' professional rear unless you cooperate and take over as Acting Headmaster immediately," Hermione said firmly. "As far as I'm concerned, he really doesn't deserve the courtesy considering what he's put you through and I wouldn't have done it, but you're not me. And for that reason alone, you should take over the position, not I." Jennifer sighed and stared at her fixedly, but Hermione made no bones about looking Jennifer straight in the eye to prove she wasn't joking about not going along with it if she backed down. Jennifer then glanced up at the Severus painting, who was nodding at her encouragingly.

"Um…Hermione," Jennifer said thoughtfully, gazing at it for a long time. "If uh…if I do take this position, am I allowed to chose my own secretary painting?"

"As long as it's a Headmaster painting, yes," Hermione shrugged, but then paused. "You're not thinking of trying to make Dusthorn secretary again, I hope?"

"No, I have a better idea," Jennifer said, and Hermione gazed thoughtfully at the sinister smile on the face of the Severus portrait before looking back at her.

"Yes, but…he's mute, Jennifer."

"Not to me," Jennifer said evenly, before turning to her work. "So how exactly are we going to go about this? How do I get the board to go along with me taking over?"

"Leave that to me," Hermione said firmly. "You just worry about the staff meeting coming up, and what to say at breakfast."

"Yes, I suppose that is more than enough to think about," Jennifer said with a frown. But Hermione smiled at her sympathetically and helped her by marking the rest of her written tests while the two of them discussed where to go from there.

* * *

"Mandatory breakfast? Whoever heard of a mandatory breakfast?" Lucky grumbled as she reluctantly got dressed. "We don't even have any classes today."

"I don't know, all I know is that all the prefects were told to get everyone together. They didn't really say anything, but both James and Brittany looked pretty upset about something when they told me about it downstairs. I think they know something we don't," Connie said. "Come on, I hate getting up too, but we have no choice."

The two of them waited for Brittany to check off their names at the door and reluctantly followed everyone else downstairs, both wondering where Lyra was, for she wasn't at her normal spot at the end of the Gryffindor table. They also looked up in surprise when they saw that most of the staff was there as well. Jennifer, standing by Andrew near the back entrance, peered around at Lucky when she came in and sat down, letting out a long grieving sigh.

"You sure you're all right?" Andrew asked worriedly, seeing the expression crossing her face.

"Yes just…worried about Lucky," Jennifer admitted.

"Right now I'm worried about everyone," Andrew said. "And that includes you." Jennifer smiled wanly at him, but before she could make up some sort of reassuring reply, Hermione came in and slipped over to them.

"I just talked to Hagrid. Sagittari's not coming, he wants to go to Crete still to see his other constellation," Hermione explained quietly. "Apparently he confronted his star about the situation with Hermius. She had been the one that encouraged him to seek Lyra out and he had the constellation's blessing to do so. Sagittari has officially washed his hands of them all."

"Seems to be a regular epidemic, doesn't it?" Jennifer said dryly. "Well, at least he'll be around people that care about him. I hope he's going to be all right."

"We all do," Hermione said with a nod. "Hagrid is going to go along and make certain that Sagittari gets there safely before he heads back home, but it does sound like Sagittari is planning to return in January."

"If not, I'm sure we can work something out. I want him to have whatever time he needs to come to terms with this," Jennifer said. "I'm sure Ginny can handle things in the hospital wing, and if we need a Magical Creatures instructor I can call in a favor somewhere."

"Don't bother, I'm sure Halbert would do it, Mum," Andrew said. "The last thing you need to worry about right now is an empty staff."

"I don't suppose you know where I can find a Potions Master while we're at it as well?" Jennifer said dryly. Noticing the Great Hall had filled up, she decided it was time to get this over with, glancing over at Icarus who nodded somberly, floating up to take the other side of her as she went to stand in front of the Headmaster's chair, causing an immediate murmur to rise up. Hermione frowned and chimed her glass, and they all settled down.

"Thank you all for coming this morning. I know how difficult it is for some of you to get up this early, especially on a day that the majority of you will be traveling, but a matter of great importance has come up, and one that no matter how I chose to tell it will be difficult for all of you to hear," Jennifer said, gazing at them solemnly, her eyes falling longest on the Gryffindor table. "There has been a tragic accident. Last evening just after dinner, Lyra of Gemini from Gryffindor House wandered off into the Dark Forest on her own and was killed when she stumbled into a Bogwight's territory," she said, looking up, but most simply gasped or were too shocked to react. "There was a small search party out looking for her, but by the time they found her, it was too late. It is a horrible thing to happen to anyone, especially one so young and full of life as she was, and it is a terrible loss to both us, the school staff and the student body in general, and I can't even begin to express my sympathy to all who knew her.

"Because of this event, the Great Hall will be used at lunch for a memorial for any who wish to attend. If you do not wish to attend, you will find food provided in all of your common rooms and activity rooms so you can eat before you meet the trains. Also, except for during the service, every member of staff now present at this table will be in their offices to speak to any student who wants to talk to someone for the rest of the day. If you are one of the students who are not leaving on the train today, please be aware that every member of staff now present at this table will be spending the night tonight. If you need someone to talk to later regardless of what time it is, you may break curfew to seek us any of us out. If you're not sure where our rooms, offices, or where a certain staff member has been put up at, simply ask an awake painting or ask a ghost, for they have been informed to help you get where you need to go. Please also note if I am the one you are seeking to speak with," she said, pausing to make eye contact with Lucky, who stared back at her with a stony expression, "I will be spending the morning in my office in the dungeon, and then after the service, I will be available in the Headmaster's Study. Feel free to ask another staff member where that is if you need me. Which, it seems, brings me to my next point.

"Headmaster Snape has decided to take an extended leave of absence, effective immediately," Jennifer paused, an actual murmur breaking out this time. "Since you are leaving for the holiday, I doubt this will impact most of you directly until we return from the holidays, so expect a further update on any changes that need to be addressed at that time. However, I want to say now before the press gets carried away with this as they usually do whenever the name of Snape is mentioned, I would like to make a short statement.

"Regardless of the reasons behind this sabbatical, Headmaster Snape has the full and unanimous support of the faculty of Hogwarts. He has become, in the opinion of many of the staff, one of the best Headmasters this school has ever had. We wish him only the best…regardless of how much he hates that word…and we hope he someday realizes how much we have appreciated his guidance and fine leadership over the years. Now, let's relax, eat, and get ready for the holidays, I'd say you've all earned it. And don't hesitate to come to us today if you need someone to talk to," Jennifer finished, feeling as if she were sinking in the chair rather than sitting in it.

As the plates appeared, Jennifer found herself staring at hers, wondering how she was going to get through it, despite the fact it was crepes and cheese, one of her favorites.

"Jennifer, you've got to eat," Hermione whispered harshly at her.

"Hermione is right, eat for their sake, not yours, Jennifer," Icarus murmured.

"Easy for you to say, you're already dead, Ick," Jennifer whispered back, reluctantly cutting into it. "Right now I feel like I'm dying one piece at a time." Andrew and Francis glanced at each other worriedly, helplessly trying to eat their own breakfasts. But when they finally got up, Jennifer immediately found herself surrounded by worried faculty, and worse, her worried son and son-in-law.

"Now, don't start that! We only have to get through a day and a night then I'll be going home for a week, remember? Don't worry about me. Go attend your offices, the students needs must be seen to first," she scolded them. "Please! She was our student, yes, but those are her friends, please!"

"That's not the part of this we're worried about, Mum," Andrew murmured in her ear.

"Please, Andrew! Your students," Jennifer said firmly, and Andrew sighed, reluctantly walking back to his classroom. "You too, Icarus. I know at least one student who is going to want to speak with you especially."

"Yes, so do I, but I don't have to climb that winding staircase to get to my office like they do, so if it's all the same, I believe I'll walk you down first," Icarus decided.

"I don't need your input right now, Icarus, I really, really don't," Jennifer said fervently.

"I won't say a word if you don't want me to," Icarus said solemnly.

Jennifer hadn't honestly expected him to actually succeed in that promise, but to her surprise, he simply hovered beside her with a stoic expression on his face, reading plainly from him that he just didn't feel comfortable with her walking there alone. But when they got to the dungeon, Jennifer looked in to see Lucky sitting on one of the tables picking at the finish, waiting for her.

"'Ey," she said uncomfortably, hopping off the table. "Do ya mind if I can talk ta Jackie for a bit instead'a whatever it was that just took over your body a few minutes ago?"

"Oh, Lucky!" Jennifer laughed softly, using it as a cover for her anguish as she went over and hugged the girl. Lucky decided to tolerate it for a moment before finally nudging her away. Neither of them actually noticed with Icarus disappeared from view. "I was hoping you would come to me," she admitted, opening the office door.

"Ya, I was worried about you," Lucky shrugged, following her inside.

"To be honest, I've been worried about you too," Jennifer admitted, closing the door behind them. "I know how close you were to her, Lucky." Lucky shrugged noncommittally.

"We were just friends. And it wasn't like we didn't know it was comin'. I mean, she always knew she was gonna die," Lucky said. Jennifer sighed, not quite sure how to handle it. She glanced up at the portrait of Severus for a long moment before getting them both some coffee.

"You know, the thing about dying, Lucky…it happens to everybody."

"Oh ya? What about Merlin?" Lucky challenged her. "I heard he's still alive."

"Well, I admit he might be a bit out of our range in the age department, but I think it's obvious that even he knows he's going to die someday," Jennifer said, handing her the sugar bowl and not even blinking when she poured half of it in. "Else why would he go to all the trouble to set up an heir in the first place?" Lucky pondered it, and shrugged. "Personally, I think predicting someone is going to die is rather silly, since everyone does it eventually…even if the end result is waiting for the planet to blow up or the universe to be destroyed," Jennifer chuckled. "Even still, it'd rather be like predicting that it might rain on a Tuesday some time in the future, or predicting that the sun will come up in the morning. Now, if that one doesn't come true, then I'd be really worried."

"Ya, but Lyra was predicted to die young," Lucky murmured.

"Young is relative, Lucky. What's young to you or me may not be to someone else. As far as centaur custom is concerned, Lyra was an adult before she died," Jennifer said with a sigh. "Not to mention the fact, if the stars think she'll die young, what is young to a star, really? Regardless of what the centaurs believe, Lyra died from a Bogwight attack, and I didn't ever hear her say anything about Bogwights, or getting lost, or any of the other horrible events that led up to what happened. If the stars could predict stuff like that, perhaps we could have truly prevented it."

"Well, yeah, but…what about what Ambrose saw in his dreams? And what about all the times I've heard people talk about Essie's visions and how she's saved lives because of them? And you can't tell me dates don't mean anything, because I heard most Number Turners all have the same birthday as me!" Lucky pointed out.

"Okay, okay," Jennifer chuckled softly, glancing up at the painting again. "So you have a bit of a point, and I do admit that connection between the leap year thing and Number Turners is a bit strange. I just don't want you to get too caught up on this Astrology thing, Lucky. You have the right to make your own decisions and live your own life, and you can choose what to do with it without consulting any stars or teacups or crystal balls or cards or whatever method the current age decides to come up with. It's as the Professor always says; you make your own luck. And fate has a lot more to do with the decisions we make and the consequences of them rather than any sort of predestination."

"Guess that explains how a so-called 'cosmic match' got busted up, huh?" Lucky said, Jennifer's expression freezing. "It's more than a school thing, isn't it? This leave of absence thing?"

"He'll come around," Jennifer said, forcing a smile on her face.

"Who are you tryin' to convince, Jackie? Me, or you?" Lucky said starkly. "'Cuz really, you don't lie all that good."

"He'll come around," Jennifer said again, more insistently this time. "I don't want you worrying about that either, Lucky. Alex will be at the station to pick you up as always, and I'm sure Alicia and Francis will also be by constantly to sneak you off on trips across the globe I'm sure I wouldn't approve of if I knew about it."

"I'm not worried. It was just a matter of time," Lucky shrugged, getting up. "Just like it was just a matter of time that Lyra was gonna follow her stars and all that. There hasn't been a family that's gotten close to me that hasn't gotten burned at some point."

"You're a Snape now, Lucky, nothing is ever going to change that," Jennifer said firmly.

"I think the jury is still out on that one," Lucky admitted before leaving. Sighing with worry, Jennifer took a moment to wake Ratfly up and send him to Andrew's office with a note.

"Why do I get the feeling this holiday is going to be painfully long beyond belief?" Jennifer said aggrieved, staring at the small window for a long time before reopening the door wide and looking for something to do.


	27. Seeking Refuge

_A/N Going to go ahead and give you guys a second chapter today since it looks like everyone's caught up. Thanks for the reviews, hope you like it. JCWriter_

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Seeking Refuge

When Severus Snape left the school that night, his intention was to get as far away from the place as humanly possible, well out of the path of his family and friends and anyone else that wanted to pester him…somewhere that no one could find him.

It took him two seconds to think of the paintings and realize the unfeasibility of it all, and found himself plodding wearily to the Three Brooms. Rosmerta immediately looked up and stared at his face, while her night patrons only gave him only a cursory glance. But it had been a very long time since she had seen Severus with such an open look of devastation…not since, she remembered, he was a young student at Hogwarts. Wiping off her hands she went straight over to him, waving off the request for drinks along the way and yelling at one of the others to get it as she walked up to him.

"I don't suppose you have any rooms free," Severus said softly, Rosmerta gazing at him even more intently than before. "I do have two familiars, but they'll be no trouble."

"Never mind the details. Would you like your old room back? The one you used when you summered with me?" she asked.

"Thank you, any will do," he said sincerely, more than a little uncomfortable about who might see him, despite the fact that nobody even seemed to notice he was there at all. She opened the door to the suite thoughtfully and handed him the keys, while he only gave it a cursory inspection.

"Now, you just take your time and get some sleep, Severus, that's all that matters right now, I'll make sure you're not disturbed at all by anyone. Use the bell if you need anything," Rosmerta said. He nodded gratefully to her, and she gently closed the door for him. He only waited long enough for his things to arrive to set up a stand for Descartes and let he and Rasputin out before he kicked off his shoes and collapsed on the bed.

* * *

Jennifer woke up to the sound of knocking and a sharp pain in her back. As comfortable as those high backed chairs were for sitting on, Jennifer had learned that night that they weren't quite so good for sleeping on. Jennifer yawned and waved her hand at the double doors and Hermione strode into the Headmaster's Study, staring at her openly.

"Don't tell me you slept in here all night?" Hermione frowned.

"All right, I won't tell you," Jennifer said, getting up to stretch. "Actually, I've just been dozing on and off for hours. I didn't want to risk missing the door if anyone had needed me, and I can't bear the thought of crashing in Severus' sitting room, not even for a moment."

"Is there anything even left in there?" Hermione wondered, peering in for her own curiosity.

"The furniture, a pile of my dresses, the portrait of myself who has been asleep for days now, and a broken Time-Turner I found on the floor," Jennifer said, Hermione turned around in surprise.

"What?"

"I think he must have tried to use it," Jennifer murmured. "I think…I think he tried to go back and save her, but couldn't, and broke it out of anger."

"Poor Severus," Hermione said with a sigh. "I hope he's all right, wherever he ended up."

"No more than I," Jennifer said quietly, and Hermione turned studying her a moment.

"Well, I think it's time you went home for awhile, Jennifer. I'm sure I'll be fine here until after the first of Yule, and if I do need backup, Danny and Sally have both volunteered to come back if needed," Hermione assured her. "It's time you tried taking care of yourself for a change."

"Easy for you to say," Jennifer said, her face filling with grief. "How can I go back to that house, Hermione? It's not even my house, technically. The one on Baker Street has always been in his name."

"For some reason, I seriously doubt he has any plans of kicking any of you out," Hermione said.

"No, perhaps not, but…that house has always felt like him, from basement to attic…and…I don't want to leave Lucky there…I don't want her to feel abandoned…"

"Why, Jennifer? Where would you go if you could?" Hermione asked. Jennifer shook her head, but then finally shrugged.

"Dad offered me a room at his house once, even gave me a key. And believe it or not, right now it feels like the lesser of evils considering how heart wrenching it's going to be returning to that house and pretending everything's all right. Oh, Hermione. I really don't know how long I can keep this up, and it's only been a day and a half…"

"It's okay, Jennifer, really, it is. I don't think even Lucky will blame you for taking a bit of time for yourself considering what you're going through," Hermione said, but Jennifer simply chuckled dryly and shook her head.

"You don't know Lucky like I do," Jennifer said, and wandered out. She had completely forgotten to pack with everything going on; she simply stopped by her office long enough to let Ratfly out and grab her cloak before walking out the gate.

When she arrived at the house and slipped in the door, Jennifer gazed in the living room to find Lucky in her normal position on the couch with the game console, and Ben in his normal position by the computer with a burbling Janus who was watching the activity on the screen with a fistful of hair. But she couldn't help but stop short when she tried to cut through the dining room, for the table was hardly empty; Corey, Alex, Aurelius, Andrew and Alicia all looked up at her searchingly.

"What are all of you doing here?" Jennifer asked with a sigh.

"We've got a better question. What are you doing here?" Corey asked. Jennifer stared at him.

"What?"

"In other words, use the damn key, Mum," Aurelius said, and Jennifer stared at him too.

"How do you know about that?" Jennifer asked, glancing over at Andrew with a frown. He shrugged.

"I gave Hermione my wallet with the old contact mirror in it. I never really used it anyhow," Andrew explained. Jennifer sighed at him with exasperation. "If you want to go to Grandfather's, go to Grandfather's, Mum."

"But Lucky…"

"Mum…we've got it," Alex said insistently.

"But you don't understand!" Jennifer said, glancing in the living room and then lowering her voice. "She's going to try to…"

"Mum?" Aurelius cut her off, gazing at her fixedly. "You're not the only Truth Seeker in the family. Sorry, I suppose that probably comes to a shock to you, but you were bound to find out sooner or later."

"That's not funny," Jennifer said curtly.

"Mum, really, she's our sister, let us handle it," Alicia put in. "It's not like we can't deal with anything she tries to pull. Besides, we…each of us, know better than you what it's like to grow up a Snape, or a Craw for that matter. Trust me, we probably understand what she's going through better than you do."

"She's right, Mum," Alex said with a nod. "Now why don't you go to Grandfather's for a few days, and come back when you're ready. The Ministry Ball is on Yule, but if you're up to it and want us to stay here and do something, we will."

"Sure, Mom, whatever you like," Corey agreed. "We'll be here." Jennifer gazed at them each in turn until she felt tears threatening to well and she nodded to them, turning towards the door, pausing only a moment to gaze over at Lucky.

"I'm…um…your brothers and sisters are going to be looking after things for a bit. Are you going to be all right here, Lucky?" Jennifer asked.

"Sure, why not," Lucky shrugged, waving her off distractedly and returning to her game. A bit unconvinced but telling herself that they would take care of it, Jennifer slipped back out the door and reached in her cloak, pushing the handkerchief it was wrapped in off and grabbing the key.

The house on Baker Street melted away and Jennifer felt both relief and grief as she left. She landed hard in front of the back door of a large farmhouse with a tall fence around the huge yard that gave it plenty of space on every side from the Muggle houses that had filled in the area over time…in fact, in the shadows it almost looked as if the wall was very literally attempting to push them back. Jennifer shook her head at that, glancing at the back door before reluctantly walking around to where she saw a light in the kitchen and knocked on the kitchen door instead. It only took a moment before the door popped open and she saw Maurice standing there; her auburn haired, strikingly good looking nine-year-old brother, who was gazing at her thoughtfully with pale grey eyes. After thinking it over he decided to let her in, and she stepped in the kitchen to see Fleur inside cooking. She glanced up briefly and then turned completely around with surprise, studying the haggard, tired figure in the doorway.

"Why, Jennifer! Is something wrong? Are you quite well? Please, won't you sit down?" Fleur said worriedly.

"Is Dad here?" Jennifer said quietly, Maurice immediately moving from behind her and down the corridor.

"Yes, of course. It isn't anything with the children, is it? Is everything all right at home?" Fleur asked, wondering why she was still standing there with a face like stone.

"Fleur!" Fleur blinked in surprise at the harsh tone in her husband's voice, glancing behind her towards another doorway where Thomas was standing, gazing at her sternly. "Now is not the time for that. Maurice, take your sister upstairs to the guest rooms and let her pick one and show her where everything is. And no interrogating family! That goes for everyone."

"All right. Come on, then," Maurice said. Fleur quieted down, despite the fact there were still a million questions floating in her eyes. Very grateful for her father's intervention, Jennifer merely glanced at up at him, but Thomas jerked his head slightly towards the corridor Maurice was standing in and she turned and followed him.

Maurice went up the front stairs and then down a long corridor, a tall window at the end helping light a narrow staircase there.

"That's to the back door, of course. Personally, I'd recommend this room," Maurice said, opening a door and showing her into a somewhat small bedroom just to the right of the back stairs. "It's smaller than the other one, but it's closer to the door and the bathroom is just across the corridor. Nobody ever uses that one; we have one on the other end, and there's one downstairs as well. The other guest room is on the other side of the bathroom…it does have a bigger closet, if you need it. Do you want to see the other room?"

"This is fine, thanks Maurice," Jennifer said, smiling weakly. Maurice simply nodded cordially to her and went down the back stairs. Jennifer strained to hear it, but the wooden stairs had been muffled at some point. She peered in to check the bathroom out to find it well stocked and complete with even a new toothbrush in the holder. Her father had thought of everything, it seemed, but Jennifer was grateful beyond belief just to have somewhere else to go. Emptying a few of her things from her cloak onto the table in her room, Jennifer took a long shower to try and drown her grief for a bit before throwing on a crumpled nightgown she had gotten out of her cloak. She buried herself under the blankets, instantly falling asleep, not even stirring when Thomas cracked the door open a few hours later long enough to check on her.

* * *

Alex woke up the next morning and got the coffee going before heading back upstairs to check up on Lucky, who was now in the room that she had used as a teenager. She knocked on the door and got no answer, not even a protest asking for more sleep time. Sighing, Alex opened up the door, unsurprised when she found it was empty.

Immediately she turned and started knocking on all the doors across and beside the room, and Andrew peered out quizzically.

"Breakfast?" he asked.

"No, Lucky," Alex said, pointing at the empty room and obviously unslept in bed.

"That didn't take her long, did it?" Aurelius said, leaning on the doorway of his old room.

"You knew it wouldn't," Alex said, knocking on Alicia's door again. Alicia finally peered out, with Francis looking out behind him.

"Gone?" Francis asked.

"Yeah, gone," Alex agreed.

"Let me get dressed and I'll go grab Corey then," Alicia sighed, going back inside.

"Sounds like we have time for coffee at least then," Aurelius said, turning for the stairs. He pulled out a watch as they wandered towards the kitchen, Andrew tossing out cups to everyone. "It's on Elsewhere, but I think it's pretty obvious where she's going."

"Where else? She's going back to New York," Andrew said, pausing to grab three more cups and toss them at Francis, Alicia, and Corey who had just come in the kitchen door.

"Now how is that kid going to get herself all the way to New York? She doesn't know how to Apparate, and any Portkey station would question an underaged Witch traveling by herself, even if she did have the cash for that," Corey said. "I seriously doubt she's gotten that far."

"I bet she has. You don't know Lucky as well as I do," Alex said. "She's got a survival instinct that even beats ours, and with her Number Turning talent, cash is not a problem. I wonder what time she left?" Ben walked in from the front room with a few papers in his hand.

"Well, I can't tell you what time she left the house, but I can tell you what time she left the country," Ben said, looking at one of the papers in his hand. "She left here at eleven thirty last night, and should have gotten there about two thirty on Delta Airlines."

"Here, let me see that," Aurelius said, Ben passing him the itinerary.

"Wow, they can get an airplane to New York in three hours?" Alex said, impressed.

"That's eight hours, Alex," Aurelius sighed at her.

"Oh. Right," Alex said, disappointed again.

"That means she's only been in New York an hour or two," Francis said, glancing at his watch.

"Doubt they would have let a kid that age on a plane without paperwork," Alicia commented.

"Her passport is as a United States citizen, though, and forgery comes second nature to that kid," Aurelius said.

"How did she manage to get that sort of money?" Corey asked.

"Ah, I have that too," Ben said, taking out another sheet. "She bought a prepaid gift credit card online, and somehow…I haven't figured out quite how…added a few more zeros to the card than what was supposed to be there."

"Ah, great. Our sister, the felon," Aurelius sighed.

"Well, we'd better get going, she may have a couple of hours on us, but it's in very early in the morning there still," Alicia said, taking out a sketch.

"Lucky knows that town like the back of her hand. Of course, that also gives her another advantage on us," Alex said.

"Yes, but she can't hide from paintings," Alicia pointed out, offering her a hand.

"Hold down the fort, Ben!" Alex said, taking her hand and holding it out to Andrew, the rest grabbing on.

"No problem…good luck," Ben said, giving them one last wave as the rest of them began to disappear into the sketch.

Alicia was expecting a long break between frames this time…crossing the ocean did seem to take several minutes. But finally she saw the edge of a frame and led them towards it, only to have it veer off in the last minute.

"Oh, no! Not again!" Alicia said, focusing on the next frame.

"Surely she didn't bring Houdini?" Francis asked.

"I doubt she would have gotten him past customs," Alex pointed out. "And even if she did, I'm really not sure she'd want to have to take care of a rabbit on the streets of New York."

"She must be moving. And very quickly from the looks of it," Alicia said as the next frame moved away.

"She might be on the subway," Francis ventured.

"Hang on, just stand there a moment, Alicia," Aurelius said. "Corey, you think you can grab onto that last frame? Maybe we can force our way out."

Corey, who had been at the tail end of the line, swung them all around and reached for it, grabbing onto the frame when it tried to veer further away, its movement yanking the entire line like a whip. But Alicia used the momentum to push herself through it, and in a moment they found themselves arriving in a painful pile on the floor on what appeared to be an office waiting room of some kind.

Alex heard a strange sound just then and looked up, ignoring the protests of Francis who was asking her to get off his arm.

"Um. Rel?" Alex said, and Aurelius looked to see what she was looking at. Aurelius smiled forcefully and waved at the camera.

"Corey, can you take that out?" Aurelius murmured.

"Me?" Corey blinked.

"You're the only one of us that doesn't have to pull a wand to do it," Aurelius murmured back.

"Oh yeah, good point," Corey said, bringing his hand up. A second and a few sparks later, the camera began to smoke. "Well, I think it's safe to say that someone knows we're in the building. Where to now?"

"Out of here, first off, before anyone catches up to us," Aurelius said. "Andrew, do your thing and go down to street level and try to get an address on the building…cross streets, all that, nearest subway entrance. The rest of us will Apparate in front of Kingler's Café and meet up there. Oh, and Corey…you might wanna drop by Vallid's and write up a quick statement about breaking that camera first," Aurelius suggested.

"Me?" Corey said again.

"Well, you broke it, didn't you?" Aurelius said.

"Only because you told me to!" Corey protested. The rest of them sighed.

"Do you always do what you're told? Honestly!" Aurelius tsked. But suddenly they heard footsteps running outside the office and everyone but Andrew Disapparated, while Andrew simply faded out of view.

The door popped open with two security guards standing there, expecting a mob of intruders and baffled when they saw nobody at all.

"This is the right suite, isn't it?" one of them asked, the other glancing at the camera.

"Yeah, looks like it. They must have hit the stairs…and watch where you're stepping!"

"What?" the other guard blinked in confusion.

"Come on," he sighed, turning to his radio, asking for a new visual. But a visual wasn't something the security team was going to get.

Aurelius and the others reappeared in the alley nearby; Aurelius stopping them only to use a disguise spell for Mugglish garb before they stepped out into the street.

"Cover me," Aurelius said when he got to the doors, letting out a hiss. A curious seal of a red Chinese dragon glowed across the gated doorway. Aurelius hissed again and it faded.

"What is that?" Corey murmured.

"I temporarily released a seal keeping magic out of the restaurant," Aurelius explained, taking out what looked to be the handset of an old black phone. "And keep watching for Muggles! This has got to look peculiar."

"Does to me," Corey agreed, turning with his back to Aurelius, the others doing the same to block any view of him from passing cars.

"This is Officer Snape, requesting entry into the Kingler lockdown, Vallid code 118 password 'The Dragon Has Awoken.' Also, could you please ring up to the Kingler residence and let them know I'm here, thanks," Aurelius said. They heard a click and the metal security gate on the door began to roll up. "There we are, come on in," Aurelius said, opening the door. Corey went in first but didn't get far in the door before he heard a curious whinny and froze. Suddenly a thundering herd of Unicorns burst out of the far wall and charged with their heads down, but before Corey barely had time to scream, Aurelius whipped out his wand and they faded into a mist that quickly dispersed in front of them. "Sorry about that. That was mine too," Aurelius said, the others staring at him a moment before stepping in with a bit more caution, Aurelius following behind them.

"Any particular reason you have the café rigged up with more security than the Hogsmeade Bank and the Baker Street house combined?" Corey asked, staring at Aurelius with a frown.

"Yeah…sorry, that's classified," Aurelius said, walking further in and turning on some lights. "Alex, let Andrew in when he shows up, will you? There's an automatic lock on the door during non business hours," he explained.

"Sure," she shrugged, standing next to the door. Just then, Aurelius heard some rattling and a heavy door opening, glancing in the back to see Sally and Rob Kingler hurrying in.

"What's wrong, what's going on? Wow, it's all of you, isn't it?" Sally said in amazement when she saw how many people were out there.

"Nearly," Aurelius agreed. "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Short," Rob said before Sally could decide.

"One of Lucky's friends died, Father quit his job and left Mum, and now Lucky's decided she's better off alone so she took a plane and is back on the streets of New York again," Aurelius said. Rob and Sally stared at him.

"How about the long version?" Rob said.

"Here he is," Alex said at the door, opening it to let Andrew in, and everyone's attention turned over to him.

"Building was on Flatbush Avenue," Andrew said.

"What kind of street name is Flatbush?" Alicia grimaced, but Aurelius simply waved her off distractedly.

"What was the nearest tube station?" Aurelius asked.

"Near Nevins, but there seemed to be a few near there," Andrew explained.

"You think she's on the subway?" Sally asked.

"That's probably the A line," Rob put in. "Especially if she's coming from the airport. Are you sayin' she got off around there?"

"No, she went past there," Alicia said.

"Probably heading for Manhattan then. Only a couple more stops in Brooklyn before it crosses," Rob said, walking to the office a moment and coming out with a book, opening it up so they could all look at it.

"What would be in Manhattan that would interest her?" Alex asked.

"What isn't in Manhattan that would interest her? Though I don't know where she'd be this time of the morning," he admitted.

"There are so many different lines," Alex frowned.

"Look, we're never going to get anywhere this way. Rel, let me borrow the watch and I can try to triangulate where she is," Corey said.

"That is going to be problematic. If you keep popping in and out you're likely to be seen, and the buildings are so high in Manhattan, you're likely to be seen on broom as well."

"Let me do it, then, Rel, I can Apparate invisible and simply come out when it's safe," Andrew suggested.

"Good idea. Meanwhile, Alicia, you and Francis try the painting thing…I'm going to check in with the local magic office and see if I can't get some sort of trace on her, there can't be that many Number Turners in the area, New York or not. Corey, I want you studying the local map and keep in contact with the rest of us in case we need directions; I have a spare mirror if you need it. After that, Sally, if you and Rob can fill him in on whatever local haunts Lucky went to so he could check them out, that'd be great."

"And what about me?" Alex asked.

"You? Hold down the fort," Aurelius said.

"Hey!" Alex immediately protested.

"We need a contact here in case she's found to help get everyone back together, and you have more communication devices on you than anyone on the planet," Aurelius said, Alex glowering at him. "Besides, your magic has gone out, so you're the most likely choice to stay anyhow. All right, let's move." Alex waited until Aurelius turned around and then stuck her tongue out at him, Corey patting her on the back.

"Come on, Alex, you can help me cram all this in," Corey suggested.

"It was about time to warm up the grills anyway," Rob said with a shrug. Nodding to him, Sally grabbed her apron and started the coffee while Rob went to the back.

Andrew shivered from the cold as he came out to check the watch, comparing where he was to the transit map he had acquired before fading and Disapparating again, moving a few blocks up. Morning was finally starting to lighten the sky, and he was beginning to notice more activity in the streets, especially around the small shops and bakeries and cafes that seemed to be on nearly every street corner. Trying not to think of how hungry he was, Andrew got his bearings and then slipped off and faded away again, doing the same routine. But this time he blinked when he noticed the compass had moved, and Apparated again, finally getting a steady arrow east instead of north or south. Glancing around he began to walk down the street, when suddenly the compass began to reorient again heading northeast and then north-north east. Andrew sighed, glancing at the map again.

It was then that he heard a chime. Glancing around but seeing that nobody thought anything of the noise, Andrew took out the wallet, glancing at the mirror a moment before murmuring a spell to transfigure it into something that almost looked like a cell phone.

"Here," Andrew said.

"Alicia said she was able to get into a painting somewhere on Fourteenth Street without chasing it down," Alex said.

"Yeah, I'm here too, near a college of some sort, but I think she just switched trains somewhere or another, because she's far north of here now. She must be on an entirely different line than what we thought," Andrew sighed.

"Doesn't help that she knows the rails and this town in general better than we do. I'll let Alicia know she needs to keep trying," Alex said. Andrew frowned and looked at the map again, but he was quite sure that compass or not, paintings or not, it was likely to be a long morning, and if they didn't find her soon…Andrew glanced over at the street he had just Apparated onto, shaking his head at both the traffic and the growing number of people…they were really going to have a hard time finding her.

Lucky hopped off the train and practically ran up the subway stairs, beaming with happiness and letting out a long sigh of relief as she stared at the flashing lights and broadcasts and obnoxious billboards of Times Square, taking a moment to watch the ticker and change her wristwatch in the process.

It wasn't her true destination; but somewhere she felt she had to go to shake the surreal feeling that had been on her ever since she landed in JFK. For some reason, it had been hard to believe she had actually made it back. But standing there she was finally beginning to feel it, reliving her childhood dreams of making a fortune with her talents and taking Manhattan by storm. This, in Lucky's opinion, was the only place to be as far as she was concerned, and the long walk she planned to take down Broadway would further convince herself, she was sure, so she went through the cash she had 'borrowed' out of an ATM at the airport and hunted down some early morning street vendors. Lucky then cheerfully walked down the street with a bagel in one hand, a churro in the other, and a keen eye searching for the first Sabretts stand to open up.

It was so easy to lose one's troubles there! With all the people and lights and stop-and-go traffic constantly honking and cabby cussing that used to teach her at least one new colorful phrase every week when she had lived there. She paused every now and again to inspect one show or another despite the fact that most she had little interest in, and then was enticed by the smell of Starbucks and grabbed a coffee to complement her meal. The morning rush was just beginning, and she leaned back for a few minutes to watch the growing number of cars as the early morning rush hour found its way to Manhattan. She finished her drink before finally moving on down the street, unaware that only two minutes later, Alicia and Francis came rushing out to the street from another building just behind her, seeing nothing but a bunch of cars and a coffee shop down the street.

"Prints! Prints! Why are there so many damn photos and prints in this town!" Alicia screamed, pulling her hair. To their credit, only a couple of people walking on the street turned to glance at her, and none of them either slowed or sped up when they passed by them. Francis merely watched his wife warily a moment as she muttered to find a quiet place to try again, giving her plenty of space before following behind.

Lucky glanced at her watch again and noted the time as she walked into Herald Square, taking another deep breath and smiled. Well, she had a little over an hour, but she still had to get through security, she mused, taking her wand from her sleeve and putting it in her jacket pocket, making sure she didn't have anything else strange on her before she crossed the intersection onto 34th.

Andrew Apparated again, staring at how many people were beginning to appear and at the crazy intersection he had just gotten to. Shaking his head slightly, Andrew looked around a moment and glanced at the compass to make double sure he was on the right street. He walked down the street, glancing up at the humongous department store on the other side, hoping she didn't go there. At least he knew the mall on his side of the street hadn't opened yet, he sighed. Even with magic, it was proving to be a needle in a haystack. He paused then to stare at the other building across from him, craning is neck in a feeble effort to see the top of it and nearly running into a woman in a business suit in the process. Well at least he knew she wasn't likely to be there, he chuckled softly, knowing her fear of heights, but as he wandered a bit further down the street, the compass began to turn and he stopped in amazement when he realized indeed she was in there. Glancing back up curiously at the Empire State Building, Andrew wandered in and up some stairs as he followed the compass, squinting at the security line before he pocketed his wand, and then noticed Lucky on the other side of it.

"Found her," Andrew said in his mirror. "I'll let you know when I catch up with her."

When Andrew got through security (receiving a very odd look when they realized he had absolutely nothing at all on him short of his clothes and jacket), Andrew was quite surprised to see Lucky standing in a line for the observation deck, despite having a ticket in her hand. Realizing he didn't have any American cash on him, Andrew slipped back into invisibility and waited while Lucky got a book out of her pocket to read in the meantime, a rather impressive line forming behind them while waiting for the ticket office to open. Just as Andrew was starting to doze off from the wait, he had to force himself awake again as Lucky got her tickets and went to another elevator, causing Andrew to gawk again when he realized she was going up to the 102nd floor.

Lucky came out of the elevators and leaned against the glass staring down upon Manhattan, the early morning sun casting streaks of golden light to pass between buildings like winds through a chasm. She let out a loud sigh and gazed out at the city lost in thought for a long time and not even noticing anyone coming up behind her, peering out beside her.

"Absolutely incredible," Andrew murmured, impressed in spite of himself. Lucky glanced up and did a double take.

"What the hell are you doing here? And how the hell did you find me?" Lucky scowled.

"Wasn't easy," Andrew said, still staring out of the glass. "You even managed to keep Alicia baffled."

"Apparently not baffled enough," Lucky said with annoyance, leaning on the window again. "So she's here too, huh?"

"And Francis. And Alex, Corey, and Aurelius," Andrew nodded, Lucky frowning at him. "In various parts of the town at the moment."

"Town? This ain't no town. She's a city. The city. My city. This is where I truly belong," Lucky said. Andrew gazed at her thoughtfully then looked out again.

"I still can't help but be amazed that you went to all the trouble to steal all that cash…"

"I didn't steal nuthin'. Ya can't steal money that don't exist," Lucky snorted.

"I doubt the airline or anyone else you purchased things from would agree with you," Andrew told her in a low voice. "But as I was saying…acquired illicit funds to fly eight hours all the way here, ride the subway all the way to Manhattan, and the first thing you do is come up here."

"Wasn't the first thing," Lucky shrugged. "But it was close. I did see Times Square first so I knew I was home and took a walk down Broadway. But here…here I'm at the top of the world. My world. No matter how bad things get on the ground, here I am bigger than all of that stuff, and nothin' else seems to matter so much."

"You aren't afraid up here?" Andrew asked curiously. Lucky shrugged.

"This ain't so bad. The 86th gets to me though sometimes, being open air, but if somethin' does happen, at least I'll die at the top," Lucky said, turning very somber. Andrew sighed, putting a comforting arm around her, but she shrugged it off. "I'm not going back, ya know."

"Have I said anything about going back?" Andrew asked.

"No, but I bet you're thinkin' it," Lucky said irritably.

"Truth Seeker as well as Number Turner, are we?" Andrew chuckled. "Fine, if you don't want to go back, you don't want to go back. Where are you going to stay at, though? You're not exactly old enough to sign a rent agreement." Lucky shrugged.

"Don't matter," she said.

"What about school? They won't let you in any schools here," Andrew mused.

"Ya, I know, that's how I got adopted, remember?" Lucky snapped.

"Any thoughts to how you're going to get your next meal, then? I mean, yes, you might have gotten away with your Turning thing, once, but how long do you think you can keep doing that before one of our officials realizes what's going on?" he asked. Lucky shrugged. "You won't be able to take Manhattan by storm if you're in a prison cell, Lucky."

"I'd like to see them try and find a prison they could keep me in," Lucky snorted.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't," Andrew said firmly. "So if you want to stay here, you're going to have to find some honest way to make cash. Maybe you can get a job?"

"At my age? Have you seen the labor reqs for kids my age in the States?" Lucky said.

"Well, I think I know how to work all that out. Tell you what…let's go to Kingler's to meet up with the others and we'll put our heads together and see what all would have to happen to help you stay," Andrew said. Lucky squinted at him suspiciously.

"Nah, I'll just stay here," Lucky said, and Andrew sighed.

"Fine, you'll have to come down sooner or later…closing time if nothing else, although I hope I don't have to wait that long. I'm already getting hungry," Andrew said. Lucky sighed.

"Fine, but you'd better be serious, 'cuz I'm not going back, and you won't be able to keep me home if I wanna leave," Lucky said.

"We noticed," Andrew agreed, taking out his mirror. "Tell everyone to meet back at Kingler's, I'm bringing her with me," he said before the two of them headed down.

Sheepishly, Lucky found herself greeted by exclamations and exasperated sighs when she entered the café; not only by her siblings, but also Sally, Rob, and Tony. A lovely woman with thick blonde hair watched the exchange from behind the counter with a curious smile, Andrew blinking at her in awe.

"She's not your type," Aurelius murmured in his ear. Andrew cleared his throat, turning his attention back to the others who were trying to pile into a circular booth in the corner. "Any way we can get more coffee over here, Jenny?"

"Sure, Rel! More coffee, coming up!" Jenny said cheerfully, pouring out as Aurelius and Andrew somehow managed to find room as well. "Anything to eat?"

"A bit of everything, I'm starved," said Andrew.

"The usual," Lucky shrugged.

"You have a usual?" Jenny asked curiously.

"I got it, Jenny," Rob said from the back.

"So where did you find her?" Alicia asked once she had gone around the table.

"The top of the Empire State Building," Andrew admitted.

"What, like King Kong?" Corey joked. "You didn't climb up from the outside of it, I hope." Lucky made a face at him.

"Nah, that would have taken too long," Andrew grinned. "Anyhow, Lucky and I have been talking, and she has decided she wants to stay here, so I think that, being her siblings and all, we could talk it over and find some way to arrange it so she can do that. Preferably without her having to break any more laws to do it."

"Good point, I don't want to have to turn my own sister in," Aurelius nodded.

"Well, first off, where is she going to live?" Corey asked.

"We could always buy her a house," Alicia offered.

"True, but how would she maintain it?" Francis asked. "Certainly not with brownies." The others shuddered.

"I know, maybe Sally has an extra room. Sally, do you have a spare room?" Andrew asked.

"I might, though it's one that I've been using for a storage area so it'd take some cleaning," she mused.

"Oh, that's no problem, we can handle that," Alex said. "I don't suppose you have any part time positions open too that a minor could handle?"

"If she doesn't mind the dishes," Sally agreed.

"But no putting my favorite spatula in the dishwasher!" Rob barked from the back.

"Why, who did that?" Alicia asked.

"Your mother, who else?" Sally said going to the next table while everyone at the table chuckled…everyone but Lucky, at any case, who was still busy squinting at the rest of them unsurely to react.

"Now, there is the problem with schooling to think about too. As her teacher as well as her brother, I'm a worried about the fact that they're a bit scared to admit her over here. Still…I may be willing to tutor her in my subjects after I'm done at Hogwarts, since it won't be so late here," Andrew offered. "I should be able to do Arithmantics as well."

"Well, I could teach Potions and Items easy enough," Corey agreed.

"Francis, if you get History, I'll get Defense," Aurelius suggested.

"Sounds reasonable to me," Francis agreed.

"I'll get Charms then, it was one of my better subjects," Alicia said with a nod.

"I don't suppose you'd want to take more Muggle Studies?" Alex offered. Lucky looked at her darkly.

"Maybe you should just concentrate on teaching her how to cook," Aurelius said. "I'm sure she's not going to want to eat out all the time."

"Yes, that's a very good idea," Alex agreed. "What do you think, Lucky?"

"What do I think? I think you're all whacked!" Lucky snorted at them. "I may wanna stay here, but there's no way in hell that Jackie is gonna let me stay here alone!"

"She has a point. What do we do about Mum?" Alex asked the others thoughtfully.

"Well, as Lucky already mentioned, it's her being left alone that would bother Mom the most," Corey said. "So perhaps someone should stay with her. Any volunteers?"

"Oh, I'm sure we can, especially since it's no trouble at all for us to get back and forth," Alicia said.

"Good idea, and that'd put Mum at ease more too if she knows that Lucky can come see her at any time," Andrew agreed. "How's that sound, Lucky?" Lucky stared at him.

"Forget it. You guys are all missing the point," Lucky said grumpily, putting her head down on her fists in annoyance.

"Well, if you think we left something out, Lucky, you should say so, that way we have a chance to work it out together," Alex said.

"It's not what you left out, it's what you left in! I don't want your help! I want to be left alone!" Lucky snapped.

"Sorry, Lucky, that's the one thing we can't do," Aurelius said evenly. "We might be willing to do anything else you want…well, one or the other of us would be willing, if not all of us…but whether you like it or not, you are our sister now, and the one thing we've been taught all our lives is not to abandon family."

"Oh yeah? Explain the Professor, then!" Lucky retorted.

"He isn't abandoning us, Lucky," Aurelius sighed. "He's abandoning himself, which isn't the same thing, really. Just like you're not running from us so much as you're trying to run from yourself."

"You got it all wrong!" Lucky said angrily. "I'm not running from myself! I'm the only one I can count on! But everyone around me always ends up gettin' hurt, and I'm sick of it! I ain't stayin' around and waitin' for the next person to die because my bad luck rubs off on 'em! I'm tired a watchin' people I know get hurt! Leave me alone! I don't wanna know anybody!" she said, trying to wriggle out despite the fact that Andrew and Alex were on either side of her.

"It wasn't your fault, Lucky!" Andrew said, holding her in place, ignoring her vicious kicking completely. "What happened to Lyra's not your fault, what Father's going through isn't your fault, and what happened to your first family wasn't your fault either!" Andrew told her firmly.

"Yes it was!" Lucky shouted at him. "Yes it was!" she said again, and then burst into tears. An immediate wave of relief swept across the table as Andrew pulled Lucky over and hugged her, a smile slowly growing on his face that was quickly mirrored in all the others while Lucky kept crying uncontrollably.

Jenny stared at the exchange completely bewildered after Rob had put a hand on her shoulder, not letting her take out their plates yet. She then turned and stared at Rob who was also smiling, as was Sally, who looked as if she were about to cry.

"I don't get it," Jenny murmured, seeing that Tony was looking over with an approving smile of his own. "That poor girl is so upset, why is everyone smiling? Even Rel is smiling, and I've never seen that man smile before."

"Jenny, you got a long road ahead of you," Rob said quietly, "but it ain't nothing compared to what road that lil' girl's got ahead of her, and she's finally decided to get off the curb and walk onto it," Rob explained, handing her a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and nodding her towards the table.

Somewhat intimidated now, Jenny walked up with a wan smile, but everyone at the table seemed grateful for the distraction, and after finally sitting up and staring at the food in front of her, Lucky dumped the entire pitcher of syrup on them. Not one comment was made by anyone at the table except for Aurelius asking for another pitcher of syrup when his food arrived, for everyone was suddenly quite content with letting the girl drown her troubles in the sticky mess she created.


	28. Shattered Glass

_A/N Fyi...released a second chapter late last night called Seeking Refuge, just in case you missed it. JCWriter._

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Shattered Glass

Severus did little but sleep for the first few days, although Rosmerta was a little encouraged by the fact that after the first day the trays she had set by the door stopped coming back full. It was the day after his children arrived back from Baker Street with Lucky that he finally crept down the stairs. The pub was completely quiet except for the tinkling of glasses being put away. When he got to the bottom, Rosmerta leaned over the bar to see who was there, smiling warmly at him.

"Ah, good morning, Severus! Nice to see you out and about for a change," she said cheerfully.

"Um, yes…actually, I'm just down for coffee. There was only one cup and no pot this morning," he admitted.

"Did I forget to put the pot out?" she said with feigned innocence. "I'm so sorry about that, here let me get you a fresh cup at the bar."

"Oh, I see what's going on now. If you wanted to see me for something, you could have used more straight forward and less cruel methods," Severus complained.

"And here I thought you were a man who appreciated tact," Rosmerta tsked.

"Tact, yes, being deprived of caffeine when I have a roaring headache, no," Severus muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Ran out of headache potions, did you? What's your normal method?" she asked.

"Powdered aspirin would be fine, if you have any," Severus admitted.

"Well, it's a bit harsh, but to each their own," Rosmerta said, pulling out a basket of different medicines before pulling out a box of BC's and handing him the wax packet.

"And just what was it you wanted to see me about?" he asked.

"Ah, it's about the post. See, I've been sorting it as it's come in…so many of the ones coming here should have been sent to the school, and I was fairly sure you didn't need bothered with that by now. I also ditched the advertisements you wouldn't be interested in and that sort of thing."

"Thank you, you needn't have gone to that sort of trouble," Severus said, though something in his tired expression told Rosmerta he was grateful.

"As it so happens, you actually have very little personal post at all, so it wasn't much trouble," she said with amusement, going over to the wine rack and taking out a small handful of letters. Severus frowned.

"Did you get any from the Ministry for me?" he asked. She paused, thinking about it.

"There might have been one," she said with a nod. "But I sent that to the castle. Need me to send an owl to fetch it?" Severus' frown deepened as he thought it over.

"No, but if any come from the Artifacts Department, can you make sure it stays here?" he asked.

"Of course, Severus, not a problem," she smiled. "Now, did you want to know why I wanted to see you, or not?"

"It has to do with the post, I take it?" Severus prompted her.

"I got an odd one marked International last night for you, but I didn't recognize the name at all so I didn't know where to send it. The return address is for a Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kingler," she explained, Severus blinking in surprise.

"Why would they write me and not Jennifer? Rather odd…here, let me have that," Severus said.

"You got post from Corey last night as well," Rosmerta said thoughtfully, handing him the stack. "Although I rather wonder why he didn't just come over."

"None of the children have any idea where I am at the moment, and I'd prefer to keep it that way," Severus said, putting on his spectacles and opening the letter.

"Of course, Severus, you know I can be discreet if need be," Rosmerta said, deciding not to mention the fact that Cheshire had delivered the letter. "In fact, I believe the indifference charm Albus put on this pub some years ago has already taken its effect on you even as early as the night you came in here. I doubt anyone in the pub will notice your comings and goings here any more than when Thomas Craw took refuge here during that silly skull business, as long as you keep your mind on your room as you're walking through or on the door as you leave." Severus gazed at her thoughtfully.

"I didn't know that was done, but I am grateful to know it's there," he said.

"No more than I am, Severus, considering how many reporters would crash the bar if it became common knowledge you were here," Rosmerta said with amusement.

"I would leave, if it came to that," Severus assured her.

"Oh, nonsense, Severus! Coming here was a sensible decision and will do you much more good than it would ever do me harm. Although I do admit it brings up some memories of when you were a student. Trust me, you were a lot harder to handle then," Rosmerta said dryly. "But better that than you getting stuck with Albus those long months alone in the castle. You were better off here then, and you're better off here now, and there won't be any more talk of you leaving here anytime soon. Now, what's this International post all about?" she asked curiously, leaning against the bar and waiting for him to read it. Severus knew full well that Rosmerta wouldn't be satisfied until she personally knew what was going on, whether she was allowed to say anything or not. Sighing in resignation, Severus turned back to the letter, his expression changing as he read it, reading it over one more time. Fishing Corey's out of the pile, he paused to read that as well. "Oh, come now! You must tell me something!" Rosmerta said with exasperation.

"It appears that Fortuna has made some sort of breakthrough," Severus murmured as he read Corey's.

"Fortuna?" Rosmerta asked.

"Lucky," Severus explained, Rosmerta looking at him with interest. "She and Lyra had been good friends," he said quietly. "Apparently with everything going on, she decided to run away and went back to New York on her own. Corey and the other four went after her…apparently she even had them all stymied for a while."

"What? Even Aurelius?" Rosmerta said with surprise.

"Even Alicia with her paintings," Severus said.

"That girl must be positively brilliant, then, to hold off a whole army of Snapes like that," Rosmerta said, impressed.

"She is, she's quite brilliant, and quite powerful in her two main talents. She's had to be to survive as long as she has, although it has caused problems in school from time to time," Severus agreed, frowning thoughtfully at the letter before turning to the one from Rob and Sally again. "I do find it odd that Jennifer wasn't there, however."

"Perhaps they simply decided not to mention her, all things considering," Rosmerta said quietly, but Severus shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. I can believe that of Corey, but Rob and Sally would have mentioned it if she were there. This is something the children seemed to have done on their own," Severus said, taking out his watch for the first time since he had left, he frowned at it in confusion when he saw the Jennifer's hand was pointed at the Craw Farm, wondering not only what she was doing there but what she might be doing there that early, especially since all of the other arrows except for Corey's at the shop were all pointing to Baker Street.

* * *

Jennifer opened her eyes to a soft knock at the door and pushed herself out of bed, quite sore from barely leaving it for over a day and a tad surprised to find a pair of slippers waiting for her feet when she swung herself around and got up, glancing at the bathrobe hanging on the door thoughtfully before tossing it on and slowly opening it to see Maurice standing there in his school uniform.

"Mother wants to know if you wanted breakfast this morning," Maurice said. "You don't have to if you don't want. It's in the kitchen." Jennifer sighed, realizing just how long it had been since she had eaten anything at all.

"I suppose I should try to get something down," she admitted, wondering if she should get dressed.

"Come on then, it's getting cold," Maurice said and turned down the corridor.

Reluctantly, Jennifer followed, tightening the robe a tad and wondering how bad her hair looked, pulling out her braid on the way down the stairs and putting it in a simple tail just to keep it from looking too unkempt. But soon she felt a little silly about making a fuss about her appearance at all, for apparently Fleur hadn't changed out of her robe either, let alone bothered with any makeup. Not that she really needed it; even though she had been aging naturally since she had married Thomas, the years had been very kind to her, and she had a knack of easily smoothing a wrinkle here and there with as little cream as possible. In fact, Jennifer had to admit with her ten years of marriage and being a mother, Fleur looked like a much better match for Thomas than when they first had gotten married, and although Jennifer would never admit it, the fact that she looked decidedly older than Jennifer now had helped to ease the tension between them over the last couple of years.

"Oh, good! I'm so glad you decided to come down!" Fleur said with a bright smile, while Maurice took his seat to finish his half-eaten breakfast. "Come, come, there's no need for formalities! Have a seat and let me get you some coffee! I made you something special to cheer you up!"

"You really didn't need to go to any trouble, Fleur…"

"No, no, no, it was very simple!" Fleur insisted, filling her cup before turning back to the stove and ladling out a bowl of something, pausing at the counter to sprinkle something on top before putting the bowl in front of her. Jennifer stared at it in disbelief for a moment before breaking into a smile.

"It's Ants in Oats," Jennifer said, chuckling and shaking her head.

"Ants?" Maurice said with disgust.

"Oh, not real ants, Maurice, it's just raisins," Jennifer grinned. "My mother used to make it for me when I was little, she's the one who called it that. I've always been a bit picky with my food, even back then when honestly I couldn't afford to be picky, not that I understood that at the time," Jennifer murmured. "She put the raisins in the porridge to try and get me to eat it. It worked splendidly until Dad decided to magic up a bit of mischief and made the raisins look and behave like real ants. I wouldn't touch it for weeks afterwards. Boy, was my mother mad at him for that."

"Yes, he told me," Fleur chuckled. "That is what made me think of it." She paused then, listening. "Maurice, that is the bus. You had better get going!"

"It isn't as if we do anything important on the last day before the holidays. Rotten of them to make us finish out the week," Maurice complained, but got up and went to the door. "Can't I just stay home and visit Jennifer?"

"We'll have time to later, Maurice," Jennifer said with a smile, despite the fact she knew her brother was simply using her an excuse to try and get out of going. She watched him leave before finally stirring her porridge. "He really is very mature for his age, isn't he?"

"Oh my yes, but Thomas has told me that you were at his age as well," Fleur said, pouring herself a cup off coffee and sitting down across from her.

"Only because I had to be," Jennifer admitted.

"Yes, I understand those were hard times for all three of you," Fleur said softly. "But hard times…they make us stronger."

"Or break us," Jennifer said softly. But Fleur shook her head and gave her a gentle smile.

"Perhaps some, but not so of Craws. You are all too stubborn to let it!" Fleur said with a slight exasperation in her tone that caused Jennifer to smile weakly at that. "I don't suppose you have any plans for the holidays yet?"

"I don't know, really," Jennifer said distantly, picking out the raisins to eat first. "Well, that's not completely true…I have to be at the castle after Natalie's party on Christmas Eve to take over for Hermione, so I really only have Yule to worry about. Although to be honest, I am certainly not in the mood to do all that baking business I usually do. Alex mentioned the Ministry Ball was on Yule this year, perhaps that would be the best way to handle it."

"Actually, I think it's a splendid idea, but I am biased since we have to go in any case," Fleur said with amusement. "Anyway, do you feel like doing some shopping? This is my last chance to shop without Maurice being home, so I must go in any case."

Jennifer quickly agreed, grateful for the distraction, although she did regret it a bit when she learned that Fleur wanted to go to Myrkinbrek, and then came to regret it even more when she found out that Fleur wanted to go to Tassels and Panning for some cufflinks and a watch chain for Thomas. Jennifer quickly suggested they meet up at Webstring's Book Shop so she didn't have to go in the jewelry shop.

"Ah, Professor Craw!" Madame Webstring said with a toothy goblin smile, easily recognizable behind the counter in her horribly bright aqua satin dress that looked horrendous next to her olive green skin. Of course, she always seemed to dress like that, Jennifer grinned, wondering if the old bookseller wasn't a little bit colorblind. "I have some good news for you. One of the titles on your list of Out Of Print book requests has finally been acquired," she said with a fanged sneer.

"Really?" Jennifer said curiously.

"It wasn't in the best of shape when I got it," she admitted, getting into a small vault behind the counter. "I have taken some time in restoring it, although it will add to the price of course," she said. Jennifer glanced at it eagerly and then felt a pit in her stomach as she realized it was one that Severus had been searching for for several years. "Nothing wrong I hope? Don't tell me you've since acquired it?" the goblin frowned.

"No…" Jennifer said, quickly thinking it over before raising her head back up. "No, actually, I haven't. In fact, I would like to haggle for it if you have the time." Webstring's face immediately lit up in a rather disturbing sort of way, but Jennifer didn't care if the goblin came out of the deal a bit ahead of what even she had been expecting. Jennifer knew full well what the goblin must have gone through to get it, and it was going to be a long time before that particular volume showed up on the market again. By the time that Fleur caught back up with her, the majority of the coin they had brought with them had already been spent.

"Well! My errands are done! Anywhere else in particular that you want to go when we fill our purses back up?" Fleur asked with a wink. Jennifer thought about it a moment.

"I don't suppose you would consider going to Harrod's?" Jennifer asked. "I need to pick up some things for Lucky and Ben." Fleur brightened immediately.

"Harrod's! I've never been!" she said excitedly.

"And you've lived near London how long?" Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile. "Well, now, we must correct that at once! Come on, let's go."

Under any sort of normal circumstances, Fleur Delacour Craw would have been the last person that Jennifer would have ever picked as a shopping companion. So Jennifer was more than a little humbled to find out that not only was she decidedly fun to shop with, especially the time she spent explaining gadgets Fleur took interest in (the ones Jennifer knew at any rate) and helping her pick out complementary gifts for the children and grandchildren. Jennifer also found out that they had very similar tastes in dresses and clothing after they decided to finish their trip with a 'quick' stop at Madame Malkins to pick up a dress for Lucky, coming home with a fair number of packages for themselves as well. They rushed back to the farmhouse to stuff all their parcels away, and feigned innocence when Maurice came home with a suspicious look on his face, wondering what his mother had been doing all day and why she was wearing her best coat and gloves to do it.

This was the woman she had avoided for ten years? Jennifer suddenly felt quite silly for having held the grudge so long against the woman for marrying her father, especially after Fleur had never done anything but tried to be kind to her the entire time. The jealousy she had once felt was gone now, and she found herself much more sympathetic to the obvious embarrassment Fleur felt any time she noticed a woman hitting her husband or the scowls that flashed in her direction every now and again by people she didn't even know. A strange admiration had taken its place that Jennifer hadn't been expecting, plus sheer gratefulness to how quickly Fleur had accepted Jennifer into her home and into her family's life without a passing thought to how poorly Jennifer had always treated her. After ten years of not being able to fathom what her father truly saw in the woman past her looks and figure, within the course of one afternoon of shopping, Jennifer understood everything.

So starkly different was Jennifer's attitude towards her stepmother that Thomas couldn't help but notice it immediately when he came home from work, for the two of them were busy prepping dinner and chatting over drinks as if they had been best friends all their lives. Jennifer didn't flinch, cringe, or even frown when he went over to kiss his wife in greeting. Instead there was a strange enigmatic smile on her face, followed by a long sigh as she made a play at cleaning the prep counter.

"And just what have you two been up to all day?" he asked, squinting suspiciously at his daughter's strange behavior.

"Jennifer took me shopping," Fleur explained with a smile, pulling the bowl she had in front of her away in an attempt to keep his fingers out of it.

"Oh really," Thomas mused. "This morning I recall you mentioning something about taking _her_ shopping, but how exactly did that get reversed?"

"Well, first I took her shopping, and then she took me shopping, and after we finished that, we decided to take each other shopping!" Fleur explained with an enigmatic smile of her own, Jennifer grinning in response.

"Sorry I asked," Thomas grunted, fishing a glass out of the cabinet that immediately filled up on its own. "I hope I'm not going to have to liquidate the mine for this 'little' shopping trip of yours."

"Er, no, Thomas, although I might have dipped into the domestic budget a little bit more than I planned," Fleur admitted with an especially beguiling smile. Thomas stared blankly at her. "After all, it is nearly Christmas."

"Any excuse for spending my money has been good enough for you," he pointed out.

"Simply another investment in which you can take out dividends, Thomas," Fleur said coquettishly.

"Fleur, no flirting in front of the children, I don't care _how _old they are," Thomas said flatly, tapping his drink for a refill before turning down the hall. "I'll be in the secret lab if anyone needs me," he added before heading down the basement stairs.

"The what?" Jennifer asked with a grin.

"That's what he calls the television room," Fleur said in a lowered voice, and Jennifer chuckled softly. "He even has a set of security doors and plenty of traps on the way in so nobody else finds out about his habit. Now, how about we see about getting dinner over with so we can pick out which dresses we want to wear for the Ball, _oui?"_ she said with a wink. Jennifer grinned and put her drink down, quickly jumping in to help Fleur.

* * *

At first, Jennifer had been looking forward to going to the Yule Ball, especially after visiting home and having all the children quickly agree to the idea; even Lucky didn't protest the dress Jennifer offered her like she normally did. Something had happened on that brief 'outing' to New York that had quieted Lucky somewhat, and the moment Jennifer had the opportunity, she cornered Alex about it, listening to the story thoughtfully.

"After that, she didn't really fight the idea of going home at all, but she did make one condition of returning, and that was that she would be able to spend New Year's Eve back in New York," Alex explained. "Not that I think she's anywhere near out of the woods yet, but it was a good sign."

"Yes, yes it is," Jennifer agreed distantly. "Strange how the worst of times brings such dramatic changes in people."

"Why, do you feel it's changing you?" Alex asked thoughtfully. Jennifer pondered it a moment then gave her a wan smile.

"Well, at the very least I can say it has given way to some startling revelations," Jennifer admitted. "Although honestly, I could do without the aches and pains that come with it."

"But are you at least feeling better?" Alex asked carefully.

"I am coping better," Jennifer decided. "Although, I'm afraid that isn't exactly the same thing, is it?"

Jennifer stepped away then to have a few more words with Lucky before she left, leaving Alex to reflect. Well, at least she had agreed to go to the Ball, Alex mused, hoping that the diversions associated with the dance would keep her mother too occupied to get too depressed during what was normally her favorite holiday. Had any of them guessed that that decision was going to backfire as badly as it did, they might have decided to stay home instead.

It wasn't long after Thomas and his family had gotten there that Jennifer spotted where the Snapes were sitting, taking only a moment to stop by the Weasley table to say hello to Arthur and Molly before going over to where Ben, Janus, and a ton of half-empty glasses were. Janus burbled and held out his arms and Jennifer grinned, needing no translation as she picked him out of Ben's arms and sat down.

"Have you been missing me?" Jennifer asked him. "Can you say gramma?" she asked him, but he simply burbled.

"He hasn't said much of anything yet," Ben said with a deep sigh.

"Well, don't worry yet, Ben. As I recall, Aurelius didn't start talking until well after he was a year old," Jennifer said. "Of course, looking back, that was probably his natural Truth Seeker ability at work."

"If only that were it," Ben sighed, "instead of what I'm afraid of." Jennifer glanced at him thoughtfully and then out into the crowd at where Alexandria was busy talking to Percy and several Ministry employees she knew.

"Perhaps you should talk to someone about it," Jennifer murmured to him. "I mean, if you think she's holding him back."

"Not intentionally," Ben protested.

"Oh, obviously not intentionally, or you wouldn't hesitate so much to bring it up to her," Jennifer said with a slight smile.

"I thought about talking to Doctor Sagittari about it, but under the circumstances…"

"Yes, I know. Not that he's in the country at the moment anyhow," Jennifer said. "You know, perhaps you should consider taking her to Bliant? After all, he is an expert on anomalies like hers and he was close enough friends to Alex and the others growing up that I think he'll be tactful if it is what you think." Ben nodded thoughtfully at that, accepting Janus back. "And don't give up on him in the meantime. Just keep talking to him," she suggested.

"Oh don't worry, I have been and I will," Ben assured her with a smile. Suddenly the table seemed to fill up with Snapes as if they had begun Apparating there as Francis, Alicia, Alex and Aurelius all piled in practically at the same time.

"There you are! But where's Lucky?" Jennifer frowned.

"Don't worry, Mum, she's with Connie and Helena over at Percy's table," Alex said. "After having to put up with us the last few days, I think she was more than ready to see some of her friends."

"I don't blame her," Aurelius said.

"What about Andrew, is he here?"

"Yeah, he's here somewhere with that Tracey girl that Corey fixed him up with," Alex said. "You know, the one from Vallid's office that was trying to pick _him_ up when he had to fill out that accidental damage report for the camera Aurelius told him to bust." Jennifer stared at her daughter.

"You just never know when to stop, do you," Aurelius asked his sister flatly.

"Well, I'd love to stay and figure out just why you guys are breaking cameras in the first place, but Erik and Tonks just came in, and I'm quite certain he's looking for me," Jennifer said, getting up.

"You want one of us to go over there with you, Mum?" Alex asked, Alicia nudging her warningly.

"Thanks, but things being as they are, I think it's better if I go myself. He needs to understand I'm more than willing to stand on my own. I'll be back over in a bit," Jennifer said and walked over, while the rest of them exchanged glances.

"Jennifer!" Tonks waved her over, hugging her warmly. "I wasn't sure if you were coming tonight!"

"Oh, yes, since Aurelius had to come and Father as well, it was the easiest way to spend Yule together, really," Jennifer explained with a smile, following them in their futile attempt to find a quiet table and sitting down with them.

"All the same, we are very glad to see you here," Erik said with a smile. "How is Severus?"

"Oh…um…well, to be honest, we're all in a bit of a shock still over what happened," Jennifer said carefully. Erik nodded thoughtfully, gazing at her.

"I had a feeling that played a part in Severus' decision to take a break. Did it?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Jennifer admitted. "But we're all right, really, I hope the board isn't too concerned about it. We have matters well in hand at the school, Erik…"

"Now, you don't have to worry about that, Jennifer," Erik interrupted with a smile. "Even without Hermione's impressive letter of recommendation and having every member of the staff signing it as she did, I can't think of anyone else better to fill in during Severus' absence," Erik reassured her with a smile, a mischievous twinkle in his eye when he caught her blinking in surprise. "Of course, the letter did a lot to quiet the nay-sayers and in the process made my life easier," he murmured, Tonks grinning at him in response. "You'll be at the board meeting at the end of the month?"

"Yes, Erik," Jennifer said with a nod with a smile.

"Good, I'll be looking forward to hearing your first report," he said, glancing at his wife before leaning over the table. "But I would take extra care about what you say to Norman or Abraxus about all this, if I were you."

"Thanks for the warning," Jennifer said with a nod and a smile. "Now enough business! Go have fun, you two!"

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Tonks grinned, getting up and lifting her heels up until her Ultra-lite Slippers began to hover.

Jennifer chuckled softly as she watched them head to the dance floor. Well, how else would she possibly manage it, Jennifer thought with a grin. Her mind began to wonder then on the time she had worn them…that first dance…at a dance very much like that one, she remembered, thinking about the look in his eyes. A dull ache began to grow in her; an ache that became increasingly hard to contain as she watched the dance floor. But Aurelius had been watching her quite intently ever since she got up, and swiftly jumped in, ignoring the questions from his siblings as he made his way over to her side.

"May I?" Aurelius asked, holding out his hand in front of her. Jennifer gazed at him knowingly, and a strange exchange of expressions ensued, the thoughts behind both of them filled with different strong emotions. "Well, Mother, you went to the trouble of making me learn to dance, I might as well get some use out of it," he pointed out. Jennifer chuckled and shook her head at him, accepting his hand.

"I don't suppose you'll ever consider asking a pretty girl to dance instead?" Jennifer teased.

"I just did, didn't I?" Aurelius answered smoothly.

"I meant one that isn't related," Jennifer said dryly as she followed him on the dance floor.

"No, it's not likely, no. Really, do you blame me all that much?" Aurelius asked her, and she thought about it a moment, gazing at the thoughts hidden in his enigmatic smile.

"No, I don't suppose I do," Jennifer admitted with a smile of her own, and although it was a little stiff and a tad awkward dancing with her son, it was definitely better than not being out there at all.

As the tune ended, another hand came up, and Jennifer found Aurelius handing her over to her father, who to Jennifer's utmost surprise had developed a graceful, dignified style all his own. But Aurelius no more then waited for them to pull away that he hurried over the Snape table with such a solemn look on his face that he had all of their complete attentions.

"We need to try and keep Mum occupied," Aurelius said. "I don't care how…dancing, talking, anything, but don't leave her alone with her thoughts tonight for an instant."

"Not a problem," Ben said, handing Janus over to Alex. "I think I'll take the next round."

"I'll take the next," Francis agreed, watching as Ben worked his way through the crowd to take Thomas' place. Jennifer was more than a little surprised, but when she had trouble reading the why of it shot Aurelius a dirty look. Andrew, who had happened to notice the exchange from where he and his date was standing near the punch bowl, excused himself to take his own turn on the dance floor, and then finally Francis stepped up to the plate despite Jennifer's laughing protests when they didn't allow her a moment to rest in between.

"This really isn't fair, you know. It's not like I have a chance at all when the entire family gangs up on me like this," Jennifer grinned when the music finally paused.

"That's the general idea, yes," Francis said with a smile.

"I don't suppose you want some punch?" Jennifer asked.

"Not unless I know what's all in it," Francis said, Jennifer shaking her head at him.

"And people think I'm picky. You've become much worse that I ever was," Jennifer said fervently.

"Nonsense, Jennifer, I've had a picky diet for six centuries," Francis chuckled, opting for the water instead of the punch while Jennifer got herself a glass.

"Professor Craw!" a voice called out, and Jennifer glanced up to see Minister Coffers and Plum standing together. It was quite strange seeing them together as different as they were; Coffers a tad overweight and cheerful, while Plumeria was gaunt, withered and even now wore the sort of expression where anyone in the room could plainly see that she would have rather been anywhere else but there that night.

"Good evening David…Plumeria…"

"Minister Plum," Plumeria corrected.

"Of course," Jennifer said with a smile she didn't really feel. "I hope you're enjoying your holiday."

"Oh, we just got here," Coffers explained with a smile. "Did Severus come with you this evening?"

"Ah, no, actually, he's taken some personal time off and gone away for a bit," Jennifer explained, her smile quite fixed despite the fact that Plumeria was squinting at her.

"That explains a lot, then. I know Samira has been trying to get a hold of him on that research concerning Clemmons and that flute and all," Coffers said.

"Oh, that…well, I suppose I can look at that if you want to send it to the castle. Who's Samira?" Jennifer asked.

"Sorry, I meant Miss Lamya, of course, the one who's been helping Severus with all the research," Coffers said. Noticing his obvious confusion to her reaction, Jennifer studied his face carefully. Then she simply smiled wider.

"Oh, of course, how silly of me. International Council, right?" Jennifer inquired, ignoring the fact that Plumeria was frowning at her after having noticed the sudden strain in her voice.

"That's the one. Anyhow, I'll have her send that to the school then, you said?"

"Yes, I'll be acting as Headmaster until his return," Jennifer explained. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Minister Coffers, Minister Plum."

"David, Jennifer," Coffers said with a smile.

"Of course, David," Jennifer said, finally getting the courage to turn away.

Suddenly, the glass in her hand shattered, despite the fact that Jennifer barely acknowledged it as she strode across the floor to find someone. An instant later, glasses began to shatter in hands everywhere in the entire room and everyone reacted with cries of surprise. Not knowing quite what happened but knowing very well who had caused it, Aurelius strode over to Francis, pulling on his arm.

"You fool! I told you not to leave her alone!" Aurelius hissed.

"But she hasn't left my sight for a moment, Rel. She simply went to chat with Coffers and Plum," Francis protested.

Just then, the crystal punch bowl shattered and sent everyone in the area scrambling, while all of the Enforcers in the area had their wands out and were looking around for the source. In fact, Thomas himself was so intent in trying to figure out who was causing the mayhem that he missed his daughter's presence until she was almost next to him, becoming immediately alert when he saw the boiling fury behind her stony expression.

"Whatever is on your mind, Jen-girl, can it wait a few minutes?" Thomas asked with exasperation.

"No, not really," Jennifer said in such a strange tone that he frowned at her. "Dad, do you know who Samira Lamya is?"

"Yeah, she's an International nuisance who's been working in the Artifacts Department lately," Thomas said.

"Do you know if Severus knows her?" she asked.

"Knows her? He's been doing nothing about complaining about that woman to me for months now, why?" Thomas asked, squinting when Jennifer nodded slowly.

"Then can you explain to me…can anyone please explain to me…why is it that if she's been helping him with his research and he's been complaining about her for months that the first time I have ever heard that name was tonight?" Jennifer asked on the verge of tears and so angry she was shaking. Thomas stared at her.

"Craters, why didn't I see it before…" Thomas muttered and then heard a crack from above. Blinking up at the crystal chandelier in the center of the room, Thomas immediately dove for his daughter and pulled his cloak around them as it too shattered, spraying out in different directions, while Enforcers began to cast reveal enemy spells. But Thomas knew full well they wouldn't find anything. Desperately, he glanced around until he saw his wife and led Jennifer over, still wrapped protectively in his cloak.

"Thomas! What's wrong?" Fleur asked.

"What is it? Is Jennifer hurt?" Percy asked from nearby.

"Yes," Thomas snapped, slipping off his cloak and draping it over Jennifer's other arm, the head fully down so no one could see her face. "Fleur, I need you to take Maurice and Jennifer home, and give her a Sleeping Potion while you're at it. It looks like I'm going to be late."

"Why, Thomas, what are you planning to do?" Fleur asked fearfully.

"Spend the night in the law office, for one thing," Thomas said, a dark expression on his face. "Just don't ask me what I plan to do tomorrow."


	29. The Most Dangerous Wizard in Britain

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Most Dangerous Wizard in Britain

Severus slipped downstairs to get his post and _Daily Prophet_, sifting through the post with a frown as he went back up to his room for breakfast. He had been expecting one from the Ministry…but then again, he had only sent out the inquiry the day before after seeing Samira's small employment add for a runes specialist. Well, considering how long she had been looking, it was more than likely she had found someone by now. He shrugged to himself. It was hardly like he really needed to work; he could get by comfortably for years without lifting a finger. But Severus was never one to be idle, and considering how much he already knew about what she was working on, it only made sense to break himself in with that as he began the process of filing the credentials he was going to need to work in various countries as an excavation team expert. He turned to the paper to see if the add was still there but then paused when he saw the headline.

Mayhem at the Ministry Ball

The mood of the annual Ministry Ball was dampened this year when early on a 'strong magical force of unknown origin' managed to shatter all glass articles within the room in less than a minute. Although only minor injuries were reported from the breakage, it has been noted by many witnesses that Minister Craw was seen helping his daughter Professor Craw of Hogwarts out of the room afterwards. When tracked down in his office later that evening and asked about the incident, he was quoted as saying that it was "not anyone's d--d business how she is," and also that "an outside or intentionally malignant source is unlikely."

Severus frowned at the article thoughtfully, wondering what was really going on and who had been there that he could contact to find out, for he certainly wouldn't go to a family member about it. Perhaps one of the Weasleys… there was a knock on the door, but it didn't sound like Rosmerta's normal knock at all. Perhaps he was about to find out what happened last night, he mused. He opened the door slightly, and then blinked when he saw Samira Lamya standing there with that annoying crooked smile on her face.

"Too early?" she asked.

"Um…give me a moment," Severus said and shut the door, staring back at the room in a panic. Quickly straightening the sitting area with a couple of wand movements, Severus rushed to get dressed, horrified when he saw his spectacles on, putting them away as he grabbed his best robes and pulled his hair into a tail while Rasputin watched him in confusion from under the bed. When Severus came back out, Rasputin followed behind him curiously, plopping down under the window in the sunshine near where Descartes perched on his stand. Severus glanced at them with a frown, but knowing how long it would take him to get them caged if he tried, Severus resignedly opened the door again. "Sorry to keep you waiting, come on in. Care for coffee?"

"Perhaps one, although I'm not much of a coffee drinker myself. I'll have a mead on my way out," she said with some amusement as she glanced around. She heard a long, low hiss from a surprised basilisk who had been expecting someone else entirely.

"Who is that? I don't know her. She smells like Lady Witch, but she is not," the basilisk hissed, eyeing her warily.

"Just an acquaintance," Severus hissed back, Samira turned and glanced at Severus with an odd smile. "Pardon me, Samira. These are my familiars…my Stymphalian, Descartes," he said, gesturing to the iron crane who immediately started hissing menacingly at her. "Um…yes, and my monitor basilisk, Rasputin," Severus said. Rasputin somehow coming up with a hiss even more threatening than Descartes.

"Don't come near me. I bite!" Rasputin had hissed. Severus stared at him in disbelief.

"You do not bite," Severus hissed.

"She is not Lady Witch. I will bite her," Rasputin hissed again.

"I'm afraid I'm not very good with animals," Samira said warily as she watched the strange exchange of hisses between them.

"Actually, they're normally quite docile. The move here probably upset them," Severus said, although he knew it was probably a lot more than that.

"A docile Stymphalian? That I find hard to believe. How exactly did you manage to acquire it? I thought by regulation they aren't allowed to leave Greece."

"A very long story, actually…" Severus began when he noticed Rasputin rubbing the table leg to try and slip his eye patch off. Immediately he pounced the lizard before Rasputin could manage it. He was more than a little surprised at how strong Rasputin was when he really wanted to be, because despite his size, Severus couldn't remember him ever fighting this much before.

"Tell her to leave or I will stone her. I don't like her. She's not Lady Witch. She's not a lady!" Rasputin complained.

"You should put a leash on that thing," Samira said, trying to back further away and getting hissed at by Descartes as she backed towards the door.

Severus readjusted his eye patch, hissing softly. "What is the matter with you? Go back under the bed and nap or something!"

"I want to go home," Rasputin said. Severus sighed, standing back up.

"Why don't we go downstairs? Obviously this isn't going to work as upset as they are now," Severus frowned at them.

"I am sorry about the trouble, Severus," Samira said.

"No, it's not you so much as their missing family I think," Severus explained quickly, opening the door for her. "Besides, you did say you would prefer something else to drink anyhow."

"True enough," Samira agreed.

But as they came over to the bar, Severus didn't miss the frown or the look of suspicion on Rosmerta's face, looking over at Samira with obvious disapproval.

"Rosmerta, this is an acquaintance of mine from the Ministry, Miss Lamya," Severus said. "She's a researcher for the International Council."

"Ah really?" Rosmerta asked with a thin smile. "Who exactly are you researching?" Severus gazed at Rosmerta uncertainly.

"Actually, I'm researching some German artifacts that passed through the country, although I am still looking for a rune expert…if you're still interested, Mr. Snape?"

"Certainly, Samira," Severus said. "Mind if we get more coffee and a mead, Rosmerta?"

"Hm," Rosmerta said, but then went over to get their drinks. Severus didn't like this at all.

"Perhaps we ought to find a table once we get our drinks," Severus murmured. "Something in the back? Or would you prefer the balcony?"

"Oh, a small table in the back will more than suffice," Samira said with a smile, but then paused when Rosmerta came back with their drinks. "Thank you, Rosmerta. Such a nice place you have here, too."

"Hm," Rosmerta said again, darting a sharp glance between them before walking away to find something else to do. Severus grimaced slightly; wondering if staying there was going to work so well after all.

"Shall we?" Samira asked, taking the initiative to grab her drink and selecting a table in the corner along the back wall. It was very slow this time of the morning, no more than a couple of regulars and most of them had chosen tables closer to the fire, so there were a number of empty tables in between. "Now, I'm sure this will be the perfect place for us to work out some job details, don't you? And much less hostile," she added with a teasing flash in her eyes.

"Yes, I don't know what's gotten into them, actually," Severus admitted.

"Now, Severus, I think that's rather obvious, don't you?" Samira said with a crooked smile. "I rather think that due to your abrupt leave of absence from the school, your familiars and apparently your hostess believes there's something going on with us besides just a friendly business arrangement. At the very least, your familiars definitely seem to think so."

"Um…well, there may be some truth in that, yes," Severus admitted with a sigh, wishing now he had ordered something stronger than coffee. "And for the record, regardless of what the paper printed, I didn't go on any sort of leave of absence. I resigned."

"Really?" she said, leaning over the table a tad, glancing around as if half afraid he had been heard.

"Don't worry, I have a snoop chain on. Not that I really care if anyone knows. I imagine Hermione decided it would be easier to get through the rest of the year if nobody knew about it," Severus murmured, sipping his coffee. "You were right, Samira. That school has always been a prison to me, and I was tired of everyone feeling they could run my life all the time. I want to see what it's like to write my own destiny for a change."

"In that case, I think you took a very good first step," Samira said, nodding approvingly. "And if you need any strings pulled to further your plans, just let me know. I'm a very good string puller," she winked. "At least, it's got me this far."

"String puller, or chain puller?" Severus asked dryly, a look of intense amusement appearing in response as she pushed her black hair out of her face.

"Well, since we're now working together, I suppose it's only fair to admit I do both. Whatever it takes for me to get what I want," she said with a sinister smile.

"And what is it exactly that want, Samira?" Severus asked.

"To get this research done, what else?" Samira asked.

"I meant ultimately," Severus murmured.

"Oh, ultimately? Well I suppose ultimately I want the same thing every ambitious woman wants, to conquer and rule the world," she said with obvious amusement. "Although, barring that I suppose I'd be willing to settle for just you," she said, putting her head in her hand and smiling wider.

"I'm a married man, Samira, you know that quite well," Severus warned her quietly.

"Yes, and yet I can't help but to note you're staying here and not at home," Samira pointed out, still gazing at him with that same infectious smile. "And if the paper's any indication, you didn't accompany her last night, either. So I can't help but wonder, Severus, especially considering your admittance that you tendered your resignation, if it was only your job that you resigned from?"

"Care for another drink? Or perhaps we should get something to eat, or would you rather go to the Ministry for a while so I can see what runes you're having trouble with?" Severus suggested, Samira laughing softly at his attempts of changing the subject.

"Is it the question you're comfortable with, or just me, Severus?"

"Perhaps a bit of both," Severus admitted, feeling a little heat in his neck when her smile turned increasingly smug and she sat up again.

"In that case, forgive me if I don't rule you out entirely then," she said flirtatiously, sipping on her mead. "So, I suppose you'd like an update of what I've been working on since our last session together?"

Severus intently listened to her, asking a question now and again for specifics on her own investigations until his chain suddenly grew warm. He glanced up in surprise and looked around the pub intently, but before he could track the source it faded again.

"Something wrong, Severus?" Samira asked, watching his behavior curiously.

"I'm not sure," Severus admitted. "Perhaps it's time we moved elsewhere for awhile."

"In that case, we might as well go to the Ministry after all so you can see first hand what I'm talking about," Samira suggested, moving to finish her drink.

"Samira, I hope you don't mind my saying so, but I have never seen anyone down so many meads in one sitting without food and still be as clear as a bell. Either you are taking sobriety potions, or you have the alcohol tolerance of a Claurican," Severus said, earning a laugh in response. "So which is it?"

"All women have their secrets, Severus," Samira said with an enigmatic smile.

Just then, there was a fluttering of wings, and Severus glanced up in time to see an unfamiliar owl hop down from a nearby window and drop a note card that simply had his name on it. Glancing at Samira who simply shrugged, Severus opened it, the words burning away as he read it.

_I need to meet with you over a matter of life or death at once in a discreet location. It is vital that you come find me in the Dark Forest, straight behind the Pannage and just past the brook. Come alone and without mentioning my name. T. Craw._

Severus blinked at it in surprise, the note slowly disintegrating as he finished until there was nothing left.

"What was that about?" Samira asked curiously.

"A private matter," Severus said, getting up. "We will have to meet up again later on, it would seem."

"No trouble, Severus, it'll give me time to prepare some files from you," Samira said with a smile.

Severus nodded in response and then stepped out, Apparating to the Pig's Pannage to discourage any attempts from Samira or anyone else from following him before entering the forest. Did this have something to do with whatever it was that happened last night, he wondered, growing more and more worried about what might have happened to Jennifer. Carefully he crossed the stream, wondering how much farther he needed to go until he noticed a small clearing up ahead and decided to head towards it, wondering what the centaurs would say if they noticed him there. No, they were far away from any centaur camps, Severus mused, which is probably why he chose that spot. Then again, why chose anywhere in the Dark Forest at all? Why would he have avoided his office?

Severus was suddenly pulled backward as something got a stranglehold on his neck. His hands went to it in surprise to try and figure out what was happening, his face growing red by the time he realized it was his own cloak strangling him. Finally his new cloak pin snapped, the cloak flying away and causing him to stagger as a second spell hit him full force. His feet felt as if they were sinking into the ground and he quickly realized he had been hit with a binding spell to keep him from Apparating. As he recovered enough to get out his wand, he saw a shadow overhead and glanced up warily to see it was Hastings carrying his cloak away.

"I don't think you'll need that. I'd rather have our chat on even ground," Thomas said calmly, a very cool and collected expression on his face despite the firm grip on his wand.

"I hardly think earthbinding me is putting me on any sort of even ground, Thomas. Exactly what right do you think you have spelling me in the back like that?" Severus snapped.

"The rights of a father, what else?" Thomas said calmly. "I don't want you bolting on me when you hear what I'm here for," he said, pulling a scroll out of his pocket with his left hand, while his wand was still pointed at Severus' head. "And if you're smart, you'll simply do what you're told so we won't have any further unpleasantness."

"The point, Thomas?" Severus sighed. Thomas dropped the scroll, which immediately unrolled and then hovered near Severus, his eyes going wide when he saw it was a dissolution of marriage.

"The point, Severus, is that you are going to sign your name to the bottom of that scroll, or you're going to quickly find yourself in a Wizard's Duel, where I will most likely end up killing you," Thomas said.

"You wouldn't kill me," Severus said evenly. "And I am not ready to sign any divorce papers," he added firmly before turning away.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

Severus hit the ground, his eyes even wider as the flash of green soared over where his head had been a second before. Thomas lip twitched.

"Hm, guess I need to get used to this new wand. Not that I won't be destroying it after your death anyhow," Thomas said. "You see, being the Minister of Law Enforcement has given me a new perspective. No one knows the mistakes that murderers make trying to cover their tracks better than I do. They won't be finding your corpse unless I want it found…I rather haven't made up my mind yet if I want it found or not, but I suppose I'll figure that out once you're put down. Sign the paper, or duel. Your choice, Severus."

"What the hell is the matter with you? I'm not doing either!" Severus snapped.

"Then I'll just kill you outright," Thomas said, and immediately another death spell came at Severus and he had to dive again, taking refuge behind a tree.

A moment later, Severus saw a flash and a cloud of thick smoke as the tree he was behind caught on fire, but if he had even a momentary thought of taking advantage of it, it quickly ended when the smoke formed into writhing snakes that began biting him ferociously.

"You'll have to do better than that, poison doesn't affect me," Severus shouted, dissipating them.

"Stop hiding behind trees like a complete coward! I'd rather not cast you in the back again, but I will if a coward's death is what you prefer," Thomas said, standing in the middle of the glen when the last of the smoke dissipated, completely unconcerned about the fact he had no cover. "Now, are you ready to come out and fight like a man? Or have you forgotten how?"

"I don't want to fight you!" Severus snapped. "You are completely overreacting to something that's none of your business in the first place! What happens between Jennifer and myself has nothing to do with you!"

"Oh really? Then allow me to disagree, because I have no intention of letting you to dishonor my daughter or sully the name of Craw with Snape any longer. If you have any decency at all, Snape, you will sign that paper at once, because if not, I'm quite done toying with you and plan to finish this," Thomas said. Severus took a defensive stance then, pointing his wand behind Thomas.

"_Accio!" _Severus said. Thomas shook his head.

"Want your cloak, do you? Even if you got it back, I assure you any potions inside it are completely ruined, since I sent it to the bottom of the lake," Thomas said. "Not that you'll need it back. _Morte acidium!" _Immediately Severus started the chant to block the spell, but then became more than a bit surprised when he changed the spell abruptly. _"Confrigo!"_

Severus fell on his wand to keep the explosion spell from affecting his wand directly, but in the process allowed the remains of the Acidic Eulogy to fall on his back, and had to quickly roll away and protect himself from it getting to his skin while behind him one of the trees exploded. Severus looked up just in time to see it falling towards him, somehow managing to get a levitation spell off to toss it aside before turning on Thomas.

"_Reflexus poena!_" Severus shouted, but Thomas rolled his eyes, casting a rebound spell that caused it to bounce it directly back at Severus.

"Really, Severus, who do you think it was that taught Jen-girl that spell, anyhow?" Thomas tsked as Severus fought the pain enough to release himself from the spell. "Why don't you just sign the damn paper and get it over with? _Cockatrix Videre!"_

As Severus moved to block the spell, he immediately knew that something had gone wrong. For Thomas had been carefully watching Severus during the entire fight, knowing each block Severus had reflexively moved into by name and had seen a distinct pattern to his movements. Able to anticipate then what block he would probably use for the stone curse, he had aimed off to the side the Severus was apt to jump to, succeeding in hitting his left shoulder, the spells effects quickly taking hold of his entire arm. But before Severus could think of countering it, Thomas cast at the stone arm itself. _"Lapidus ut platina!" _

Severus cried out in pain as it felt as if his shoulder was being dislocated from the weight of his arm as it suddenly got heavier and heavier. The stone turned silvery and metallic, and he fell hard on the ground from the weight, feeling his shoulder giving out completely. Before Severus could recover, Thomas had Apparated right over top of him and he felt the pressure of Thomas' boot on the side of his head holding it firmly down against the cold, rocky ground. Thomas then easily pulled Severus' wand out of his hand and stuck a quill in its place, the document floating down helpfully.

"Death or Divorce, Severus," Thomas said with the same cold voice he had had since the beginning. "Choose your course. As long as my daughter is free of you, I don't care which you choose, but choose now, or I will choose for you." Severus shakily raised his hand, Thomas stopping him momentary with a slap of the wand. "With a steady hand, if you don't mind," he said in a steely tone, watching carefully as Severus slowly penned his name on the scroll. "Good, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Thomas said acidly, grabbing the scroll before finally lifting his foot, tossing Severus' wand well out of range so he would have to work to get out of his predicament. "You didn't deserve her anyhow. Enjoy your life, but stay away from my family from now on if you want to keep it, or next time I won't be so lenient," he warned before finally Disapparating.

* * *

After sending Maurice up to his room to play, Jennifer and Fleur spent the morning wrapping presents in the living room, with Fleur doing everything in her power to keep the conversation as light as possible to keep Jennifer from falling into the bouts of depression that had been plaguing her all morning long, especially after she had run into the book she had gotten for Severus, finding she didn't have the strength to wrap it and kept pushing it to the back of the pile. Suddenly, the fireplace shot up on its own, and the two women looked over to see Thomas' face appearing in the flames.

"Jen-girl, I'd like you to join me for lunch in my office, there's something important we need to discuss," Thomas said.

"But Thomas! We still have packages to wrap!" Fleur protested, very glad they had wrapped his first.

"It's no problem, I've cleared my afternoon appointments. Take your time, Jen-girl," he said, the flame rising up briefly before he faded and the flames were back to normal.

"Take my time?" Jennifer said in disbelief, looking over at Fleur who looked just as confused as she was. "Since when?"

"That is not like him at all," Fleur agreed. "It must be something awfully serious, Jennifer. Perhaps you should go on. I can finish up."

"No, I…I'd rather do my own," Jennifer said, quickly pulling Maurice's up to wrap and then tossing a cloth over the others. The cloth instantly drew itself up into a burlap bag and tied itself. "I'll take care of it when I get back."

"All right," Fleur nodded, gazing thoughtfully after her.

Reluctantly, Jennifer went to the Ministry, waving off questions by many of the workers, concerned ex-students, asking if she were all right and even occasionally trying to stop her about the ball itself. But Jennifer paid no attention to them, and because of that fact had actually gotten to her father's office much earlier than usual. But apparently he had no appointments that hour either, for the door was open, and the moment he noticed her he gestured for her to come in.

"Have a seat, Jen-girl. There's tea, coffee, whatever you like, although I recommend the whisky, despite the fact it's not likely to go well with pumpkin butter sandwiches. I have cucumber sandwiches and fried eel sandwiches too though, if you're not in the mood for those," Thomas offered in an unusually cordial tone, the door shutting quietly behind her.

"I take it you've seen Aurelius at some point today," Jennifer said evenly.

"Just hiding my thoughts to protect innocent participants in one of my cases," Thomas said smoothly, gesturing Jennifer to a seat once more. "How about the tea? It's an especially good blend I got from Corey's, believe it or not. Rose designed it; it's supposed to soothe even the most savage of beasts. I think they gave me a free box as a test subject," Thomas chuckled, handing her a cup when she didn't answer.

"Did someone die or something?" Jennifer asked warily, when he held the tray out to her.

"Why, is it that unusual for me to try to make you comfortable?" he asked.

"Yes," Jennifer said flatly. Thomas nodded somberly.

"Yes, it probably is," he agreed. "Well, I suppose the good news is…or the bad news, depending on how you look at it, is that nobody's dead. The bad news is, whether he wants to admit to it or not, that I think you're right in that there's probably something going on between Severus and Samira." Jennifer nodded slowly. "How do you feel about that?" he asked quietly.

"I'd rather not think about it," Jennifer said curtly.

"Well, you're going to have to sooner or later, Jen-girl," Thomas said seriously. "And I think for the sake of everyone involved, including the children, the sooner you deal with it the better."

"Deal with it? I don't even understand it!" Jennifer said, pushing her hair back and then felt tears welling up again and shook her head. "It's not like I can really do anything about it, is there? He's obviously done with me, so there really isn't much else to say."

"Good, I'm glad you're at least established that much," Thomas said, getting in a drawer. "In fact, after what happened last night, I decided to find out where he was and have a chat with him, and after a long heartfelt discussion, he has come to agree. That being the case, I think it's time you finalized this so you can safely move on now, don't you?" Jennifer frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, watching as he rolled out the scroll. "What do you mean by finalizing it?"

"Signing the divorce papers, what else?" Thomas said, Jennifer jumping out of her seat, horrified. "Don't worry, I stayed up all night and made sure all the bases are covered…you'll remain Lucky's guardian, and there's a clause stating he won't kick any of your children out of the Baker Street House because of the estrangement…the vaults were a little tricky because you both had your names put on all of them, but I think we can at least get his name off the children's trusts vaults easy enough…oh, and I put in a clause that states that he gives permission for Lucky to change her name to Craw if she prefers as well."

"But this is insane! No matter what Severus has done, I don't want a divorce!" Jennifer said.

"You might as well sign it, Jen-girl, as you can plainly see, he already has," Thomas said calmly. Alarmed, Jennifer glanced at the document, pushing it open and staring at the name in complete disbelief. "It's a valid signature, Jennifer, run any test you like on it, but I was there when he signed it." Jennifer slowly turned and stared fixedly at her father, but he simply returned it with a steady gaze.

"You said you had a talk to him…what exactly did you say?" Jennifer asked.

"I didn't say I had a talk. We had a chat," Thomas said easily.

"Followed by a heartfelt discussion. Was that with or without a wand, Dad?"

"I haven't even touched my wand since before the Yule Ball on yesterday, Jen-girl. Please don't drag me into this. It was Severus' decision to sign the papers, and I think for your own sake you really ought to just sign it and get it over with," Thomas said.

"Not until I know whatever it is you are hiding from me!" Jennifer snapped. Thomas sighed.

"What I am or am not hiding has nothing to do with anything. The fact of the matter is that Severus has left you and is obviously seeking other sources of comfort, and it's futile not to sign it when as of today your marriage to him is completely meaningless."

"No!" Jennifer shouted angrily, slamming down her cup and breaking it. Thomas sighed at the tea on his table, moving the scroll out of the way. "Maybe it is to you! Maybe it even is to him! But it still means something to me, and I'm not signing it!"

"Jen-girl," Thomas sighed, cleaning the spill and putting the scroll back on the table. "You are not being reasonable here. Severus has already signed the paper, and naturally assumes that you are probably going to sign it as well. He thinks he is a free man now, away from any guilt or obligations and he is going to be wont to take advantage of that freedom. If he had any restraint before, he certainly has no reason to have any now. If you don't sign this paper, you will only succeed in dishonoring the family, you'll be making yourself a laughing stock while your husband tramps around as much as he likes as you turn a blind eye to it!"

"I don't care!" Jennifer shouted angrily, her eyes full of tears. "I don't care about your precious honor or anything else! If he wants a divorce, fine! But he's going to have to come face to face with me with all his stupid mental blocks down and tell me that himself if he ever wants to see my name on that paper, and until then, I'm not signing it!"

"You are not leaving this room without signing that paper, Jen-girl!" Thomas said, taking out his wand threateningly. Jennifer stared at him coldly.

"Then you're just going to have to kill me, Dad, because honestly, I'd rather die as his wife than live one minute as his ex," Jennifer said before walking out the door and slamming it behind her. Thomas sat back down at his desk with the scroll still in his hand broodingly. If only their choices had been reversed, Thomas mused. Perhaps he would have had a bit more hope for the situation than he did at that moment.

* * *

Angrily, Jennifer returned home without a word to Fleur or Maurice as she stormed into the living room, but the two of them had seen such a look on Thomas' face and knew it was best just to leave her alone. She wrapped each of her gifts…Severus' first of all…before finally retreating to her room, slamming the door, and bursting into uncontrollable tears.

A few minutes later she heard a painful violin note and glanced up at the picture of an Irish countryside where the portrait of Severus stood, gazing at her concernedly.

"Oh, go away! I don't even want to see you right now! Isn't it bad enough that you tore my heart out that you now have to dissect it further? I can't do this anymore! I just can't bear it! He's done with me, really truly done…I'm so scared, Severus! I'm just so very scared!" Jennifer said bursting into tears again. Clenching his fists in anger at having to see her in such a state, the portrait of Severus stormed out of the painting. Jennifer was too upset to notice, her eyes full of tears to be aware that a second figure had slipped into the painting behind him and was even now gazing at her with icy blue eyes full of sympathy and concern.

"Jennifer," a gentle voice called out to her, and at first she didn't recognize it over the sounds of her own sobs, thinking at first it was someone outside the door. "Jennifer, can you hear me?" the voice asked again, and she looked up at last to see the portrait of Merlin in the frame. "Come to the shop, Jennifer. Come to Toby's," he said coaxingly as she focused in on him, her tears quickly subsiding on their own. Finally she forced herself to stand, and the painting walked back out again. She had nothing to lose by going over there now, even though she couldn't bring herself to dare to hope he had any solutions to her current dilemma. With a heavy but determined heart, Jennifer took only a moment to wash her face before hurrying down the stairs and out the back door.


	30. The Rose Colored Glasses

Chapter Thirty

The Rose-Colored Glasses

Severus was more than a little grateful for the indifference charm on him when he arrived back at the Three Brooms and went to his room, ringing out his sopping Chest Cloak and dumping out all the potions, soon realizing that the cloak itself was completely ruined. Rasputin peered out from under the bed but didn't say anything as Severus took a long warm bath and changed into fresh clothes, scowling at the red mark on his face before he went back down the stairs. Rosmerta glanced at the mark curiously but didn't say a thing. She also didn't say anything when she noticed his bare ring finger, a heavy indention of it still pressed into the finger itself.

"Might I have some anise wine, Rosmerta? An entire bottle of it, if you don't mind," Severus said.

"I don't suppose you want to talk about it?" she asked in a low voice, handing him a glass.

"Not really, no, at least…not right now," Severus said, and Rosmerta nodded in understanding

"Well you had best be on your guard, then, because your friend came back looking for you, and she's bound to ask," Rosmerta said, gesturing towards the back at where Samira sat with several folders she had brought from the Ministry. Severus groaned softly. He really didn't want to deal with her either. She looked up and apparently noticed him, for a smile began to play across her face.

"Can my life get any worse?" Severus murmured to himself before walking over, Rosmerta gazing at him thoughtfully before shaking her head and getting back to work.

Samira blinked once he sat down at the table, staring at him.

"What in the world happened to you?" she asked, even nudging his chin to get a better look at it.

"I had a slight confrontation with my father-in-law," Severus said dryly.

"Really? What happened to your ring? Did he damage that as well?" Samira asked.

"No, I took that off myself if you must know," Severus said briskly, filling his glass and taking a deep drink, painstakingly aware that her eyes were fixed on him. "That note business was him wanting me to sign off on divorce papers." Samira's dark eyes gentled immediately. "And if it's all the same, I really don't want to talk about it yet."

"I am terribly sorry, Severus," Samira said softly. "I know how hard that must have been. But really, I'm certain with everything you've told me, it really will prove to be all for the best. You can have your life back now."

"Perhaps," Severus said quietly, staring in his glass. "Although right at this moment it feels exactly the opposite. I think I'm going to take a walk."

"Good idea, perhaps it'll help," Samira agreed. "Either way, I brought all my work with me, so I think I'll sit here awhile if you need someone to talk to later on."

"I'm doubt I'll be much company for a while," Severus sighed, finishing off the glass and leaving the bottle on the table before making his way outside, wandering down the side streets to avoid the crowds.

Garlands and Holly wreathes hung to the shop windows and lampposts, but Severus barely acknowledged them, having very little desire to celebrate any sort of holiday that year. He intentionally avoided Corey's shop, and walked across the street when he neared the farm, half afraid to run into grandchildren or a student on his walk but having little desire to go anywhere near the forest or the Grove. He hadn't expected to run into Jennifer at all. So surprised he was when she Apparated down the street from where he was walking that he froze in place, but she was so intent on her destination that she didn't seem to notice him at all. It was obvious from the moment she Apparated which shop she was going to, because there was only one shop on that particular side street. What would she be going to Toby's for, he wondered thoughtfully, pondering which street to cut down to avoid any unpleasantness. But then a chilling thought went through him as he remembered Toby's open attraction for Jennifer since the very day he had first laid eyes on her, and now…Severus suddenly turned back down the street, hugging the buildings closely until he could finally get a glimpse in the shop window, partially hiding behind a large sign that read: _ **Absolutely Positively Closed for Everyone Except Jennifer Craw! **_

Jennifer slipped inside the empty shop, the obnoxious bell over her head deciding to announce her presence with the tune of Jingle Bells.

"I really ought to carve me a new familiar," Toby said as he came out of the back, walking out from behind the counter as well, Jennifer stopping unsurely. "Come, Jennifer," Toby said gently and opened her arms to her, and Jennifer walked over and accepted his warm hug, bursting into a new round of tears. "There, there, I know. Come sit down, please, let me make you some tea…now let's see, I wonder where I put that set of Positively Unbreakable Dutch teacups I had?" he mused, digging under the counter, Jennifer somehow managing to laugh through the tears.

"I have been awful hard on dishes lately," Jennifer admitted, trying to wipe off her face.

"There are worse things," Toby reassured her gently, bring out the set and offering her a cup. "Really, most dishes I've come across seem to be designed to break rather than any other purpose, and I'm sure in certain circumstances it can be relaxing."

"I don't think I even remember how to relax anymore," Jennifer said somberly, but Toby tapped her cup with a smile.

"That should help a bit. At least enough that you and I can have a heartfelt discussion…without the wand, of course," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Is there anything you don't know?" Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Oh, yes, quite a bit, although to be honest, I've been watching this situation very carefully for a long time now," Toby admitted quietly. "And I knew you especially would be affected by the events unfolding like no other, which is why I told you to always remember just how strong and beautiful you are," he said, patting her hand gently.

"Right now I don't feel like I'm either," Jennifer admitted.

"Perhaps not, but you are nonetheless," he assured her, lifting her chin with a smile. "And you have made some very, very brave decisions on how to handle what life is tossing at you…not only with the way you handled the school and your father's interference and all the tragedies you've been inflicted lately, but also making the conscious decision to trust Severus and allowing him the space and privacy he needed before all of this came to a head." Jennifer blinked at him.

"I don't know how you can give me any credit for that, especially since that trust was obviously misplaced," Jennifer sighed. "What a horrible mistake that was!"

"No, no it wasn't," Toby said firmly, holding her hand until she looked back over at him with a sigh. "It was the right decision. In fact, I'll go so far as to say the choices you have been making in your life lately have been impeccable. Don't you dare allow yourself to doubt your decisions because someone else made poor ones, Jennifer. Do what you know is right, no matter how hard it may be. In fact, the only thing I want you to concentrate on now is following your heart and to keep making good decisions. You, Jennifer, understand more than anyone around you right now what the most important things in life are, and you have got to keep striving to protect them."

"It almost sounds as if you're asking more out of me than what I've already given, Toby," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "But honestly, I really don't think I have that much left to give. I can't get through a day without breaking down, and to be honest, with Christmas coming up and the school and board expecting me to take over on top of trying to keep my family together and keep my heart from turning to dust is getting to be too much to bear."

"Jennifer, I can say with true conviction that if hearts start turning to dust, yours would be one of the last," Toby said with a comforting smile. "But what if I told you that I might have something in my shop that might help protect it from getting so many dings, dents and cuts as it has been getting lately?"

"By what? Turning it to stone?" Jennifer said dryly.

"No, no, your heart is far too heavy as it is. This is something that you can control, and that I think will do you a lot of good in the months ahead," Toby explained, getting under the counter.

"Hardly fair, you probably know more about what's coming than I do," Jennifer said dryly, but was curious nonetheless.

"Jennifer, you know very well you control your own fate by the decisions you make," he scolded lightly, still searching under the counter.

"The how do explain why you have memories then, or Essie, or…"

"Now, Jennifer, I'm surprised at you! You're beginning to sound like for Fortuna…"

"Well, it might help if I knew the answers to tell her, Toby…"

"Ah! Here we are," he said with an enigmatic smile. Jennifer let out a short sigh, knowing full well she wasn't about to get an answer. It was then that he pulled out a small case and put it on the counter. "This is exactly what you need."

"Toby," Jennifer chuckled, glancing at the spectacles case. "I have perfect eyesight."

"Oh, yes you do," he agreed with a smile, taking her hand again. "Perfect eyesight and perfect eyes, and as green as a forest primeval," he said, Jennifer shook his head at him with a smile. "There is one problem, of course."

"Which is?" Jennifer prompted.

"They're too perfect," Toby said, Jennifer blinking as he opened the case. "But these will help you fix that problem."

"I hope you're at least willing to explain that," Jennifer said, cautiously taking out the wire frames with small round rose tinted lenses. "They rather look like sunglasses or reading glasses."

"Yes, but there's no magnification at all, although you will find they do well protecting your eyes from the sun, not that that is its main purpose," Toby said. "No, these glasses are specifically made for someone of your talents, Jennifer. They protect you from seeing other people's thoughts."

"What?" Jennifer said, baffled.

"Meaning, when you look through them, they filter out your natural legilimens talent, so you see people as everyone else sees them without that nasty echo in your head that sometimes gets in your way of thinking clearly. Consequently, no one can read your thoughts while you're wearing them, either. You would be able to protect your thoughts in very much the manner your son can with these on," he explained, and Jennifer glanced at them with new appreciation.

"That is amazing. I have always had a lot of trouble with people reading me too clearly," Jennifer said with a chuckle. "I always thought that my sensitivity to reading people had a lot to do with that."

"And perhaps your dedication to honesty, which is also one of your greatest weaknesses," Toby said.

"What do you mean?" Jennifer frowned.

"Meaning, Jennifer, your inability to lie without everyone knowing it. But that too, you'll find, will no longer will be a problem when you wear these," he said tapping the rims.

"I'm not sure I like that so much," Jennifer admitted. "I mean, I don't want everyone to think I'm dishonest." Toby sighed in slight exasperation.

"Jennifer, has Albus Dumbledore ever lied to you?" Toby asked bluntly.

"Er…yes," Jennifer admitted.

"And what about Lunette? Have you ever heard her lie before?"

"Um, sort of…"

"And Audi?"

"On occasion, but to be fair, she was almost as bad at it as I am," Jennifer said.

"Yes, but do you believe them all to be honest people with high integrity?" Toby asked. Jennifer nodded. "Even your father has lied to you on occasion, and yet he's the most honest person I know."

"Dad only does that to protect me, though…"

"Yes, Jennifer, just as Albus, Lunette, and Audacious lied to protect what they believe in," Toby concluded. "And quite honestly Jennifer…pardon the pun…it is high time that you learned how to protect your own integrity as well, as well as the integrity not only of your family…which has a lot to lose if the wrong things come out at the wrong time… and of course the school, Jennifer. If you accept these for no other reason, accept them on the school's behalf. How long do you think you're going to last in a board meeting if you have to report to them the absolute truth?" Jennifer frowned. "True, perhaps Erik being the man that he is would be fine with it, but to be perfectly frank, the others are going to eat you alive, and all they would have to do is make one inquiry about Severus. Then you've not only sacrificed the school but all the decisions you've made up to this point on his behalf and the school's behalf. Like it or not, if any of this is going to mean anything, you are going to have to learn tact, and that is going to mean…well… learning how to skirt the lines a bit. If coloring the truth is what it's going to take, then that is what you need to do. Of course, you must have already known that, or you wouldn't have dabbled with Severus' last bit of paperwork, would you have?" Toby said mischievously.

"You're right of course, as much as I hate to admit it," Jennifer said, opening up the spectacles and placing them low on her nose so she could see over them if she had to.

"If you didn't hate lying so much, I probably wouldn't have risked giving them to you. Lying requires a great deal of discrimination…and calculated risk. Often you'll find professional poker players will wear sunglasses to hide their expressions from the other players. Well, now it's your turn to play. And despite what you may be thinking right now, you've actually been dealt a fairly good hand…but keep those cards close, don't give too much away, and even though there are bound to be times when you must put everything on the line during the game, don't take unnecessary risks. You shouldn't have to, after all. As long as you are in control of your own actions, you will find you can stand anything else that gets thrown at you…especially with those on," he reassured her, despite the fact she frowned when she caught her reflection in a small mirror near the counter.

"Ugh, but they make me look even younger somehow! I look like a squirrelly little bookworm schoolgirl or something," Jennifer said disapprovingly, Toby chuckling lightly at her.

"Well, now that you're a headmaster, maybe it's high time you had a bit of a makeover anyhow," he smiled at her. "Not that you wouldn't look good in anything of course, but perhaps you might consider trying to look as in control as you feel."

"Well, I don't know about that, but I am going to at least try to come up with something that keeps me from feeling so silly when I wear these glasses," Jennifer said, taking them off and putting them away, glancing around for the jar but not seeing it.

"No no…it's a Christmas present. It's the least I can do. I'm sure you'll be back for other things," Toby insisted.

"Thank you, Toby," Jennifer said softly. "And thank you for seeing me today. Somehow…somehow I'll get through this."

"I know you will, Jennifer," Toby promised her, kissing her hand. "Always brave, always beautiful…and this time don't forget it."

"I'll try not to," Jennifer chuckled softly. "Although…I still don't think I'm going to talk to my father for a week."

"Certainly not," Toby said supportively as she got up and wandered out, deciding to go visit Corey before she headed home.

Toby didn't bother moving from where he stood as she stepped out of view, frowning and shaking his head in disapproval even before Severus crept out from around the corner. Toby immediately began drumming his fingers with obvious irritation as Severus walked in the shop.

"Whatever you want, Severus, I'm closed. And even if you do need something, I do not have anything in the shop you could use at the moment, so do yourself a favor and leave before I lose my temper," Toby said.

"I didn't come in here to buy anything, old man, and what I have to say will be brief," Severus said evenly. "I don't know exactly why you're even in this universe at the moment, but whatever the reason, I'd appreciate it if you left Jennifer out of it. I don't want you taking advantage of her situation."

"Well, Severus, considering it's none of your damn business anymore, I don't see how it matters what you want," Toby said. "Jennifer can take care of herself, and if you ask me, she's doing a far better job of it than you are taking care of your own self."

"Don't start with the word, games, Merlin, I know how long you've had an infatuation for my wife…"

"I beg your pardon Severus, but from what I understand, you signed off on her, so she's not your anything any more," Toby said firmly. "Even so, how dare you even have the gall to question her intentions after what you've put her through lately?"

"It is your actions I am questioning, not hers!"

"You have no right to question anyone's actions but your own no matter what actions those are, Severus!" Toby snapped. "As for Jennifer, she bloody well makes her own decisions, just as you make your own decisions, as horrendous as those have been lately! And considering one of those decisions was to wash your hands of her, I think you would have more sense than to come in here at all! You do not have the right, you are way out of line, and I suggest you leave at once before I truly lose my temper. After all, you are the one that made that bed for yourself, so you can sleep in it! And I will sleep in my bed! And Jennifer will sleep wherever the hell she wants!"

Growling in his throat and clenching his fists until he knuckles were white, Severus stormed out of the room. Grumpily, Toby sat down again with his tea, but didn't stop drumming his fingers in frustration for the rest of the evening.

Severus was so irritated when he got back to the Three Brooms that he passed through the bar completely forgetting about Samira's presence, stomping up the stairs and returning to his room with a vicious slam of the door. Even though the rest of the patrons didn't seem to notice, Rosmerta squinted up at the slammed door thoughtfully, while Samira, wondering what had occurred, decided to straighten and put her work away. Glancing at the bottle of wine still on the table, Samira grabbed it and went upstairs, knocking on the door. Severus, who had started to pace, glanced at the door with annoyance before opening it, staring at Samira, who held up the bottle with a thin smile.

"Forgot about me, did you? That must have been some walk…you somehow managed to come back in a fouler mood than when you left," she noted.

"So I have," Severus said curtly, returning to pacing while Samira stepped in on her own and closed the door. Rasputin peeked his nose out the door and hissed.

"Don't come in here. I bite," Rasputin hissed.

"Hang on, let me chuck my familiars in the bedroom," Severus said.

"Of course, Severus, although if it would be easier to keep them in here and lock ourselves in the bedroom, do say the word…"

"That's hardly funny," Severus said, slipping on gloves long enough to pick the hissing Descartes up and tossing him into the bedroom as well, the irate bird landing on the bed and hissing at him in protest while Rasputin went under the bed.

"Tell her to go away. She is not a lady. I bite," Rasputin hissed. Severus simply sighed and closed the door, turning to find that Samira had already made herself comfortable at his small table.

"Although considering your mood it wouldn't hurt to try something stronger," Samira said. "Exactly what happened on that walk to get you so upset?"

"Apparently someone I know who has always been interested in my wife is wasting no time in trying to get close to her," Severus snarled. "He could have at least waited for us to recover from all of this."

"Well, I admit that does sound a bit crass, Severus, but it isn't as if your marriage hasn't been on the rocks for awhile now," Samira pointed out. "How do you do know for certain something wasn't going on before this?"

"Because she isn't pregnant," Severus snapped.

"Demon blood, then?" Samira said thoughtfully. "I seriously doubt that a dark witch as powerful as she is would fall for that sort."

"Yes, well, you don't know him like I do, he is very persuasive when he wants to be," Severus said irritably.

"Come, Severus, have a seat and try to calm down…have some wine, after all, you bought it," Samira insisted. Severus sighed and shook his head, still pacing. "It's your health and your life you need to be concerned with now, and you have had a terribly trying day."

"So I have," Severus agreed. "And if it's all the same, I'd much rather be alone right now."

"There is no way I could possibly leave you in the current mental state you're in right now, Severus," Samira said, getting up and standing in his path. "The world isn't going to end if you stop to take a moment for yourself." Severus frowned at her unsurely before turning back around to pace in the other direction, so Samira grabbed his arm to stop him. Suddenly he winced in pain and she became alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

"Fine…it's fine, I had my arm dislocated this morning, and the healing potion simply didn't cover the muscle soreness and the pain potion wore off. I'm simply going to have to brave going into the alchemist's shop for more, I suppose…"

"Here, let me see what I can do, Severus," Samira insisted, Severus frowning at her warily. "Or are you going to let your pride get in the way again?" she sighed disapprovingly, but Severus slumped.

"After this morning, I'm not sure I have any pride left," Severus murmured, looking depressed.

"Good, then it'll make things much easier," Samira said, pulling out a chair for him and coaxing him down into it before gently prodding to see where the tenderness was, watching his face carefully when he winced. "Now don't you dare panic or tense up on me, I'm only trying to get to your shoulder," she warned him before slipping a hand down the back of his robe and began to knead the muscles.

Severus wasn't sure if he was appreciating her attempts to help him or not. Emotions on both sides raged within his mind as he thought about it, remembering how many times Jennifer had managed to get him to open up that way and not sure he was ready to share that sort of intimacy with anyone else, and yet at the same time he was intensely aware of how skilled her touch was and the sound of her breathing in his left ear.

"This may hurt a little," Samira whispered softly, her voice undeniably close. "But sometimes it's necessary to experience a bit of discomfort to work through the real pain behind it. Life by definition is perilous, Severus, and change is never easy." Severus opened his eyes again, reaching with his other hand to pull her around to look at her, a little surprised by how quickly she responded to his guidance, kneeling beside him and pushing back her long black hair thoughtfully. "Any better at all?" she asked.

"Why are you here, Samira?" Severus asked with a frown. Samira raised her eyebrows at him.

"I brought back the folders, just as I said I would…"

"That's hardly what I meant," Severus said. "Someone like you could have any man you set your mind to. Why on earth would you bother obnoxiously pestering a broken down old school teacher that has at least thirty years on you…" Samira laughed softly at him.

"First off, you don't look more than a few years older than me, and if your shoulder is any indication, you are in excellent shape, even if you were only forty," Samira said, playfully running her hand across his arm again. "And I don't see a broken down old school teacher, Severus, I see only a strong, brilliantly minded wizard who has simply gotten caught in a rut and has lost his way trying to get out of it. And to be perfectly frank, I haven't been able to get you off my mind since that very first time you crashed into me in the hall, even knowing I didn't have a chance in hell getting you to notice me with everything you had going for you. When I first started flirting with you, it was under the impression you were well out of my league. In fact, you're probably still out of my league," she said with a wry smile. "And yes, I'll even admit to fantasizing about enticing you into an afternoon interlude…passing affair of course…long term relationships tend to get nasty when you're an ambitious woman…or an ambitious man, for that matter. And to be perfectly honest, I'm probably much too demanding to suit your tastes on top of that. Still, all things considering, I rather like the fact we settled on having an actual working relationship together. It suits our temperaments, and our talents complement each other quite well. Besides, it's better than not having any sort of relationship at all…of course, that does work cross purposes in some ways to ever getting into a real relationship with you, since I also have a firm work ethic on avoiding any serious relationships with anyone I work with…the ambition thing as I mentioned. You understand, I'm sure."

"Yes, quite," Severus said softly. "Does that work ethic also exclude your attempts at enticing me into an afternoon interlude as well?" Samira studied his even gaze, the smile growing on her lips.

"Well, no, I wouldn't go that far, especially if I thought there were any chance for your finally giving in," she decided, standing and moving behind him to knead his shoulders again. "I suppose if I had some sort of sign, I'd be tempted to keep trying," she went on, pleased and completely unsurprised when he immediately got up and pulled her next to him, kissing her. Happily she returned it, and quite forcefully…in fact as eager as his kiss was hers quickly overtook it, a devouring kiss as Severus had never experienced before, and even as he began quickly losing control over the situation he found he didn't mind it…it was almost intoxicating how eager she was to be near him…how arousingly obvious it was how much she wanted him and he was quite comfortable at that moment with the idea of letting her have exactly what she wanted…

Just then, he was struck by the sound of a screeching violin, so badly out of tune and so loud and persistent that even under the weight of her desire he was able to pull his head up to try and figure out where the sound was coming from.

"Did you hear that?" Severus asked, glancing around.

"I don't hear anything at the moment but your heavy breathing, although I'm quite sure I can remedy that," Samira purred playfully.

But just then the violin made another noise and Severus' eyes immediately went to the painting over the mantle; his jaw dropping when he saw it was his own portrait, frowning at him accusingly. Suddenly, Severus' face drained of all color as his eyes darted around the room, realizing just how many paintings were in there. The fact that the paintings of Hogwarts could get in there, let alone his own, was the least of his worries. It was the reminder that his daughter might just happen in to check on him at a whim and at any second that cooled him off completely.

Gently but firmly pushing Samira away from her attempts at getting his robe off, Severus strode over to the painting just as the figure of himself dove out of it. Severus tried to yank it off the wall, quite frustrated when it didn't want to budge and nearly knocking himself into the fireplace grill with his attempts. Finally he got out his wand and tried to use it to sear it off the wall, but the spells didn't seem to be hitting it at all.

"What on earth are you doing, Severus?" Samira asked with surprise.

"I need to try and find a way to get these paintings off the walls," Severus said.

"What? Right now?" Samira asked, staring at him as if he were mad.

"Yes, right now!" Severus snapped, his voice intoning an ancient spell while Samira's eyes widened in surprise. But even that, it seemed, had no effect. "What in the hell did she seal these on with?"

"Well, if you rent rooms, I expect you'd want your decorations to be vandalism proof, wouldn't you?" Samira said. "Care to tell me why it matters? Because personally, I'd like to pick up where we left off." Severus let out a long sigh.

"I'm afraid that's just not going to be possible now," Severus admitted, risking a peek in his bedroom and frowning when he saw that the walls were laden with paintings in there as well. But then he blinked, for the portrait of Alicia was sitting in a painting of the Three Brooms. His own portrait then walked into view and handed her a butterbeer, sitting down with a glass of anise wine as if planning to stay there for awhile and staring as his living self with a fixed gaze.

"If she comes in here, I will bite her," Rasputin hissed from under the bed. Severus sighed again, closing the door and looking over at Samira, who looked baffled and quite frustrated.

"You know, I'm not sure I'm all that comfortable here. Perhaps your place?"

"Staying with a Ministry family," she explained quietly, walking over and putting her arms around him, but for some reason her presence next to him just wasn't having any effect on him at all. "I could always take a room at Coven Suites…"

"No, I'm fairly certain they have paintings as well," Severus said with a frown.

"Severus, really! What does it matter? Personally, I'm fine with here, but I'd be willing to go anywhere you felt comfortable," Samira said, kissing under in his chin in a way he quite decidedly didn't like, immediately thinking of Jennifer.

"Samira," Severus said with a sigh, grabbing her hands and gently making her take a step back, aware of the deep disappointment in her dark blue eyes. "I can't do this right now, Samira. It's too soon. Much too soon, and I should not have even suggested it."

"I understand, Severus," Samira said softly. "Do you suppose there will ever be a time?"

"Perhaps," Severus said quietly, kissing her gently in attempts to wipe away her disappointment. "But wherever and whenever, it certainly needs to be far away from here," he decided, glancing up to see that his portrait had come back into the one on the mantle and was leaning on a wall, wearing a thin smile as if daring him to try.

"Then I have an idea," Samira said, Severus glancing back at her. "Once I we get this work finished and all in order in a few weeks, I'm going to need to go report back to the German Tribunal on what I've uncovered about the Artifacts they're looking for. Why don't you come with me?" she said, the portrait squinting at her. "I can go ahead and make plans for both of us going, it'll be far away from here, and I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for us to find time alone. On top of that, it will be several weeks before we can get to that point, so since you'll be working with me and whatnot, if you've changed your mind about pursuing this at all, you'll have plenty of opportunities to back out." Severus thought about it a moment, then nodded slowly, gazing intently at her. "Oh, but don't expect me to stop trying to entice you into giving in earlier," she said with a wicked smile before stepping back over and giving him another passionate kiss.

The portrait of Severus grimaced in pure disgust, shaking his head disapprovingly. At least he got the situation diffused for the moment, the portrait mused, but if that woman thought she was going to have 'plenty of opportunities' she had another thing coming. Whether she knew it or not, she had made a bad enemy out of the Portrait of Severus Snape.


	31. The Makeover

Chapter Thirty-One

The Makeover

This was not working. Jennifer sighed as she stared in her mirror with her wand in her hand, but after several experiments over the last day and a half was having no luck at all finding anything that made her spectacles look right to her. She was still sitting there when Fleur cautiously knocked and peered in thoughtfully.

"There you are! You are still coming to Natalie's party, tonight?" she asked.

"Of course I am," Jennifer said, reluctantly putting her hair back into her typical French braid.

"I thought you had made up your mind to try something different?" Fleur asked.

"You're right, I did, but nothing seems to look right," Jennifer admitted. "I may not like this with the glasses, but at least I still look like myself. I rather wanted something a bit more sophisticated, but the bun didn't work at all."

"Really? Let me see," Fleur coaxed, and Jennifer waved her wand. Her long hair was instantly released from her current braid and into a tight bun. Jennifer scowled at herself. "Hm," Fleur said thoughtfully.

"Yes, I know. It makes me look as if I'm intentionally trying to look older," Jennifer said, glancing at Fleur's face. "I would like to look a little older…"

"Yes, but you don't want to look as if you're trying to look older," Fleur finished.

"Yep, that's it," Jennifer said with a sigh, but Fleur gazed at her thoughtfully.

"You know, you have very lovely but very sharp features. I think you would better if your hair was closer to your face than you've always kept it," Fleur said.

"But Fleur, with my work it really needs to be up out of the way. Maybe I should just cut it."

"Oh, no, Jennifer!" Fleur immediately protested. "Wait, I have an idea that just might work. What you need is a rat."

"A rat? I already have two familiars as it is! And what does that have to do with my hair?" Jennifer shouted at Fleur as she disappeared down the hallway. Jennifer sat back down at the mirror with annoyance, staring at herself over the rim of the spectacles to read her glum, resigned expression. But Fleur looked anything but resigned when she came back in, flipping out her wand long enough to straighten Jennifer's hair again. Closing one eye, Fleur looked at the strange soft tube covered with faux hair in her hand and she tapped it, matching it to Jennifer's hair color before putting it on her head like a crown.

_"Conforme Gibson!" _Fleur said, tapping her wand again, and Jennifer watched curiously as her hair wrapped itself around it before twisting into a bun, sitting at the top like a button on a large auburn pillow. Despite being a bun, her hair fell around her face; and although the Edwardian bun perhaps would have been a bit much for Jennifer on its own, there was something about wearing the rose spectacles with it that seemed to balance it out completely. It looked soft and lovely without being informal; scholarly without being mousy; and there was no doubt that she felt older despite the fact it somehow also seemed perfect for her features. "What do you think?" Fleur asked conservatively, despite the fact that Jennifer could plainly see that Fleur absolutely loved it.

"I think it's just what I was looking for! It's perfect!" Jennifer agreed with a grin. "I do look more like a headmaster now, don't I?"

"Not only do you look more like a headmaster, I think you look more like yourself somehow," Fleur said. But as ambiguous at that seemed, Jennifer couldn't help but agree with her.

"Thank you!" Jennifer said happily.

"You're welcome! But we must be getting ready! You know how your father gets when he feels he's running late!" Fleur said, wandering down the hall. But as Jennifer began going through her dresses, she cried out in frustration and exasperation, realizing within minutes that none of her old dresses were going to work.

Somehow convincing Thomas to let them hurry ahead, Jennifer threw on her Hogwarts robes (the only robes she had that seemed to look right with her new style) and the two of them Apparated to Bailey's Boutique in hopes of a quick fix. But Ashley had long tailored all of her floor models to suit Jennifer's tastes years ago, and suddenly finding that her best customer had decided to change those tastes dramatically on one of her busiest sales days of the year was nothing short of exasperating.

"I rather don't like the ribbons so much on the front. Or the sides. Do you have anything without?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh yes, and perhaps we can do without so much decoration on the back in general, and definitely no more half hoops or bustles!" Fleur put in.

"Fleur, I'd rather have something back there…"

"Oh nonsense, Jennifer, you have a fine backside. You carried four children, you earned those hips, and it's time you showed them off instead of always trying to cover them up! Ashley, do you have a long-line corset?" Fleur asked.

"I'm not sure I need that, do I?" Jennifer dithered.

"Only for special occasions, I doubt you'd want to wear them at work," Fleur assured her.

"Oh, yes, that reminds me, I need new robes. Formal ones, but not…well, too unfeminine? I don't want to look like a head on the top of a playing card or something." Jennifer mused.

"I'm sure a nice belt would fix that, Jennifer, if it's made properly. Oh, no, not that dress! Surely you can live with a lower neckline than that, Jennifer!"

"I don't know, Fleur. Maybe with lace…"

"That is it!" Ashley finally screamed. "I can't take it! It's bad enough having to deal with one of you at a time, but now you expect me to not only listen to both of you at once but all the sudden you want to change styles completely? Either get something I've already made, or get out of my shop!"

"But everything in my size looks too young for me…" Jennifer protested.

"Or too busy in the back," Fleur agreed.

"Out! Out! Out!" Ashley said, waving them both out with her hands as if trying to sweep dust out of the door. The two women stood outside then as Ashley huffed and went back in, staring at it thoughtfully.

"Well, I suppose it's no use! We simply don't have time to check anywhere else tonight, it'll have to wait until after Christmas," Fleur said.

"But I have a board meeting on the thirtieth. I was really hoping to have something decent to wear before then besides plain Hogwarts robes, but I have to be back at the castle tonight," Jennifer sighed.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll keep looking for you," Fleur promised, the two of them turning for the Willowby farm. But as they past Toby's Trinkets, Ambrose ran out and over to them.

"Wait! Toby wants you to come in and look. He says they're something in here that can help you…well, I guess that's always true of his stuff though, isn't it?" Ambrose grinned.

"I doubt he has what we're looking for now, but we might as well," Jennifer said.

"As long as we don't spend too long," Fleur agreed.

Jennifer followed Ambrose in the bustling shop. It was, in fact, the only day that Toby had been open that month, so she wasn't really surprised it was packed and wondered how anyone could have any luck finding anything in there at all.

"Oh, Jennifer, look!" Fleur said, pointing on the back wall behind the counter. For there on one of the shelves on a hook and covered in a plastic sheet was a set of women's dress robes of a dark but vibrant blue and covered with metallic gold embroidery, each design a different magic symbol and making a lovely quilting effect. The collar was a tad higher than Jennifer was used to wearing, but it was open in the front and had a neckline both low enough to suit Fleur and still high enough to suit Jennifer, with lovely draping sleeves that had come back in style that season.

Jennifer went straight up to the counter where Toby was just finishing wrapping a package for a young girl, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he finished it and nodded to Ambrose who had just hopped back onto his stool at the end of the counter before finally turning to Jennifer.

"Good to see you, again, Professor Craw. My goodness, your hair is quite becoming today. How may I help you?" Toby asked calmly.

"That! That, I want that!" Jennifer said, pointing behind him.

"What? The broom over there? Oh, you mean the egg beater!"

"No, no, no, stop teasing me, Mr. Toby!" Jennifer protested as if she couldn't bear to stand another moment without it.

"Just, a minute, Mr. Toby! I would like to get that for Jennifer!" Fleur said, hurrying up beside her.

"Oh, no you don't, I'm sure you already got me something…"

"I put my name on Thomas' gift, that's not the same thing. I'll get it," Fleur insisted.

"Oh, you want to get Jennifer this cat toy?" Toby asked, and then furrowed his brows. "But Jennifer doesn't own a cat."

"The Minerva McGonagall original, Mr. Toby, and no more teasing," Jennifer said, getting out her purse.

"Oh, the robes, I see," Mr. Toby said thoughtfully. "Are you sure it's in your size?"

"I'll get it," Fleur insisted.

"Absolutely not," said Jennifer.

"Well, at least let me contribute, Jennifer!" Fleur protested. Jennifer thought about it as Toby got the robes down.

"Deal," Jennifer agreed, both women beaming triumphantly.

"I cannot even begin to express just how glad I am that the two of you have finally come to terms," Mr. Toby said, carefully folding the robes of the smile. Knowing very well he was talking about more than the robes, the two women smiled at each other. "Let me wrap these for you, Jennifer, so they won't get dirty. Now all you'll have to worry about is deciding what jewelry to wear," he said enigmatically. Jennifer's face fell. "But if you want my advice on that, Professor Craw, I might suggest you ask your new secretary for an opinion." Jennifer gazed at him thoughtfully, then nodded.

"Perhaps I shall," Jennifer said solemnly, then caught sight of Fleur sneaking extra coins in the money jar and added some extra on her own.

"Well! I think we've accomplished a lot today!" Fleur said with approval.

"Yes, it's always good to make progress with something. Little goals add up to bigger ones after all," Toby said with a smile, handing Jennifer the box. "Merry Christmas to both of you."

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Toby," they both said before walking out the door.

Soon the shop began to stop showing itself to people, and one by one everyone began to leave.

"If you're going to get something for Natalie, now would be a good time, Ambrose," Toby said at last.

"Oh, I was just going to go to the candy shop. I wouldn't want to break any Agreements. I like it here, Mr. Toby," Ambrose grinned.

"You need not worry about that anymore, Ambrose," Toby said quietly, cleaning off the counter somberly. "All the previous Agreements made concerning this shop have already been broken."

"What? But I haven't done anything!" Ambrose said, in horror, but Toby gave him a reassuring smile.

"You need not concern yourself. They weren't broken on your end, they were broken on the other," Toby said. "Pick out whatever you like."

Ambrose immediately went over to the music boxes and picked one up with a great scene of moving waves and jumping dolphins, putting his coins in until Toby covered the top of the coin jar.

"Have a good holiday, my boy," Toby smiled.

"Thank you! I hope you visit again soon," Ambrose added with a grin, accepting the wrapped package.

But as Ambrose walked to the door, Toby began to get a strange feeling, and just as Ambrose began to open it, Toby leapt to his feet.

"Wait, Ambrose!" Toby said abruptly, Ambrose looking around in surprise as Toby suddenly pulled him back from the door and closed it, then pulled him back and crouched behind the window display. His wizened face and icy eyes suddenly got strangely intent and solemn as he gazed out the window. Cautiously Ambrose peeked around as well, blinking in surprise as he saw a beautiful black haired woman striding down the street with a fixed gaze. Suddenly she paused and glanced around with an intense look of alarm and an intense frown. Toby turned and frantically started feeling the shelf next to him until he found what he was looking for, immediately putting the chain around Ambrose's neck, quickly putting a finger to his lips when he tried to question it. Frowning, the woman finally walked away, glancing behind herself warily.

"Ambrose, I'd very much appreciate it if you would leave that chain on for a while, and don't take it off for any reason," Toby said quietly, waiting until she was well out of view before standing. "Don't worry, I'll speak to your mother about it when she stops by tonight after the party."

"What is it?" Ambrose said.

"Simply a bit of protection, Ambrose, nothing more," Toby said, looking more like his old self now.

"But why? Who was that woman anyhow?"

"Someone who has absolutely nothing to do with us," Toby said firmly.

"Then why did you give me the chain?" Ambrose asked curiously.

"Because she thinks she does," Toby said briskly, standing in the door so he could glance down the street. "Very well, Ambrose! You may go to your sister's now. But do me a favor and don't mention what just happened to anyone just yet."

"Yes, Mr. Toby," Ambrose said, a bit baffled, hurrying over to the farmhouse and joining the party. He adjusted the chain every now and again on his neck but kept his promise not to say anything as he and Lucky began debating which sleeping bags to take to the attic.

* * *

Jennifer was actually very glad to be back at Hogwarts again, patiently listening as Hermione got her updated on trivialities before sending her off to spend Christmas with her family. But spending the evening at Corey's had taken its toll on Jennifer with Severus gone, so she was very glad to finally spend some time alone away from all the questions or even the long silences, which could sometimes be worse. The spectacles at least, helped spare her the thoughts behind it. She sighed, taking only a moment to drop off paperwork in the Headmaster's Study before making her way to her office in the dungeon, so intent on her destination that she didn't notice the fact that it took her half the time as normal to get there. With a flick of the wrist, the flames in the fire shot up, and with another the windows were cracked open as far as they could go as she made her way to the couch quite grateful it was there, despite the fact that was hardly the point of him putting it in there in the first place.

Jennifer shook her head at the thought, glancing up towards the portrait of Severus. But the portrait, it seemed, wasn't there in his frame. She sighed softly. Well, it was Christmas Eve. Perhaps he managed to wake her portrait up, she thought somberly before tossing her cloak on the couch and pulling out a blanket, making herself comfortable. Maybe she would try to brave her sitting room again tomorrow night, she mused with a yawn after snuggling under the covers. More tired than she had realized, Jennifer soon fell deep asleep.

* * *

Severus suddenly awoke to the sound of a strangely sick squawking noise and sat up in bed, wondering what in the world it could have been. Pushing off the covers and grabbing his wand out from under his pillow, he crept to the door and cracked it open to see Descartes sitting by the open window overly pleased with himself, while Rasputin was lying sleepily by the fire. Frowning in bewilderment, Severus waved the candles and lanterns to life in the room and then relaxed when he saw the small pile of presents on the table. He was contemplating just going back to bed at that point when he noticed an unusual amount of owl feathers around Descartes perch that caused him to squint suspiciously at him.

"Rasputin, what just happened here?" Severus asked. Rasputin eyed him sleepily for a moment.

"Bird had owl for breakfast," Rasputin explained.

"What? Descartes ate a delivery owl?" Severus said, staring at the iron bird that had belched up a feather.

"Yes. You told him he could," Rasputin explained. "You said he could eat that particular owl if he wanted."

"That was Samira's owl, wasn't it?" Severus hissed in annoyance.

"It was owl delivering her post," Rasputin agreed. "Can I eat the next one?"

"No you can not!" Severus snapped, more than a little annoyed that Descartes had taken him seriously.

"Can I just stone it then?" Rasputin suggested.

"Rasputin, I really don't want to cage you on Christmas, but I shall if you keep it up, and since I'm going to be spending most of the day at Anna's, I'm sure you'd be a trifle bored by the time I got back," Severus warned. "I really don't like this violent streak the both of you have been on lately. You're picking a terrible time to get hostile on me. I have enough problems." Rasputin grew quiet as he thought it over.

"Can I have a mouse? Since bird got to eat the owl?" he asked. Severus sighed and reluctantly let him have one; cleaning up the feathers before he forgot and found himself faced with questions he didn't want to answer.

Finally he decided to go over and inspect the packages since he was up anyway. He hadn't been expecting any; the truth of the matter was that he hadn't bought anyone a present this year except for getting Lucky a quill set and a video game he had promised her if she had kept her marks up. Other than that, he had absolutely no inclination whatsoever to give anyone anything, and so was a tad surprised when nearly everyone in the family had sent him something, despite the fact that the majority of them were boxes of licorice cauldrons. There was a basket sent from the neighborhood of Haven's Row filled with springerle, and a smaller one from Rose filled with the same as well as handmade cards and gifts from his grandchildren, including one of Charles the Third's favorite paper dragons. He sighed softly, suddenly regretting his decision to avoid Natalie's party despite the unpleasantness that would have most assuredly gone with it. Then he shook his head at himself, knowing it wouldn't have been wise.

It was then that he noticed there were only five boxes of cauldrons and he found himself glancing at each once, wondering which was angry with him. But before he even looked at the last tag, he knew the answer. Lucky's wasn't there. Severus sighed softly, wishing he had just gone back to bed. But what could he do about it now? Feeling depressed, he was about to turn in when he noticed an unmarked package in the mix. Frowning, he picked it up…obviously a tome of some sort. Why wasn't it marked? After cautiously murmuring a couple of spells, he opened it, immediately knowing who it was from when he saw it was the copy of _Magical Runes and Symbols of Predynastic Egypt_… a book he had been looking for for over twelve years. He had always hoped to find it wandering into Toby's one day, and wondered if that was how she had gotten a hold of one until he glanced at the binding and repair work and knew at once it came from Webstring. Wincing at how much the old goblin probably extorted for it, Severus opened it to see a small note left inside._ May you find success in your new endeavors, wherever they may lead, and may you find happiness along the way. All the best J.C.C.S._

Severus stared at it for a long time, rereading it, struck hard by its obvious sincerity and staring at disbelief at her adding the "S." at the end. She must have bought it well before things broke down, Severus reasoned…but of course, then that wouldn't make sense with the rest of the letter. It must have been written then at Yule or before, and for some reason she chose not to change it. That she had expected what he might have been thinking of going into didn't surprise him so much, although he did find it troubling knowing how much she must have spent on it. Most of the vaults at Gringotts had his name on it except for the Craw Vault, which had no money at all; and her personal vault never had anything in it except for when she was saving for something particular. Feeling even worse than he had before, Severus decided to crawl back into bed to try to get more sleep, but he ended up lying awake for a long time.

* * *

Jennifer woke up to the sound of a violin and stared up blearily at the portrait above the mantle. She stretched out the kinks she had from sleeping on the couch, sitting up with a smile.

"There you are! Happy Christmas. Where have you been?" Jennifer asked. He shrugged almost noncommittally before turning sheepish. "Spying? Spying on yourself?" Jennifer blinked when he nodded. "Whatever for?"

Before he could answer, a man in a very colorful outfit stormed into the painting and grabbed his fiddle out of Severus' hand.

"Do you mind?" the Fiddler said curtly, grabbing his bow as well before walking back out of the painting. Jennifer laughed softly for a moment, while the portrait of Severus looked quite annoyed.

"So how is he, really?" Jennifer asked. The portrait hesitated, looking away for a moment. "Tell me only what you want to tell me, Severus, I won't pry, not that you aren't hard to read as it is," she pointed out. Severus glanced at her guiltily a moment before finally sighing silently again and sitting down, gazing at her again. "Nothing has gone too far yet. Do you mean with Samira? Wait, what do you mean by 'yet?'" Jennifer frowned. A thin enigmatic smile appeared on his face. "You and his familiars have been sabotaging them?" she gaped. "Oh, Severus, honestly! What are you thinking? Don't you think he can take care of himself?" Severus expression flattened and he shook his head, staring at her with a firm stare. "Please, I know you don't like her, although I am a little surprised that the familiars don't like her…okay, fine, you _hate_ her," Jennifer corrected with amusement at his insistence. "But it's not your choice, it's his, and he has to be free to make that choice, regardless of how any of us feel." Severus glowered at her. "Besides, I need you here now, Severus, you promised you'd help me run the school and honestly, I can't do this without your advice. You won't be able to watch him night and day," Jennifer pointed out. But a sinister smile crept back across his face. "Spy network? You organized a spy network?" Jennifer said with a dropped jaw when he nodded. "What in the world am I going to do with you?" Jennifer said with exasperation, his smile growing wider. "Francis got much too close to your personality when he painted you, if you ask me. Fine! Spy if you like, but promise me you won't do anything to Severus that would take away his right to make his own decisions. I haven't gone through this hell just to be thwarted by a painting!" Jennifer said. Severus mulled it over then glanced up again. "Can you sabotage Samira instead?" Jennifer said aghast. "Severus…" just then there was a knock on the door, and he gestured that she should go answer it.

"Fine, but we're going to continue this chat later, because all the sudden I'm not sure I trust you," Jennifer said. The Severus in the painting pondered that but then shrugged it off unconcernedly, glancing long enough to see who was at the door before pretending to find something to read. When she saw it was Aurelius standing there, Jennifer quickly pushed her spectacles up. "Oh, Aurelius! What are you doing here?"

"It's Christmas," Aurelius said evenly. "The others sent me to find you. How are you doing that, by the way? I meant to ask you about it last night."

"Doing what? Oh…um…the spectacles," Jennifer explained, realizing she wasn't going to be able to hide it from him. "Toby gave them to me, they block Truth Seeking in both directions, reading and picking up."

"Really?" Aurelius said in amazement, and she gave them to him long enough to try them out.

"He thought they might help with board meetings. He says they might help me learn to…well, help me learn some tact," Jennifer corrected, but then realized Aurelius had taken them off and had seen what she was going to say, shaking his head slightly.

"I suppose he does have a point, and they do look well with your new hairstyle," Aurelius admitted.

"Thanks," Jennifer said with a smile, putting them back on.

"So how about coming upstairs and having breakfast with us? They're all waiting in the Headmaster's Study for us."

"What? How did you get in there?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Mum. There are a lot of paintings in there," Aurelius said.

"Oh. Of course," Jennifer said sheepishly. "Give me a moment." Aurelius stepped out and Jennifer threw on her Hogwarts robes and the two of them went upstairs and over to where the study was. But she stopped short when she noticed the gargoyle had changed, staring in disbelief at the giant bird standing there.

"Dewhurst?" Jennifer said in awe, the raven reacting to its name by stretching his wings a bit and looking at her. "Wow."

"You do know the password I hope?" Aurelius asked.

"Um…yes, Hermione told me last night," Jennifer said, trying to sort through her indifference to Hermione's attempts at updating her to try and find it. "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," she said. Aurelius rolled his eyes as it opened, and Jennifer decided she didn't blame him as they walked up the spiral stairs and pushed open the doors. She then broke into a grin as she saw Alex, Ben, Janus, Francis, Alicia, Andrew, Corey and Lucky sitting in the middle of the floor with the breakfast try between them, greeting them warmly when they came in. "What are you all doing here?"

"It's Christmas," Andrew chuckled at her as if it were obvious. "What, did you think you were going to get stuck here all alone?"

"I hardly expected you to be here though, especially this early…especially you and Lucky, Corey."

"Trust me, we've been up for hours," Corey said dryly, the others grinning at him knowingly. "In fact, we've already gotten in our presents some time ago."

"That explains the necklace. That is new, isn't it Lucky?" Jennifer inquired, admiring the single drop crystal around her neck.

"Well, sorta, but I gathered from the note I got with it it's pretty old," Lucky said, putting her hand on it. "It's a Faerie Tear necklace. There wasn't a name on it, but Corey said I could have it."

"It's all right, Lucky, I know where it's from," Jennifer said, sharing an enigmatic smile with Corey. "And I think it's splendid that it was given to you. It was actually an artifact of the school's at one point, and it's very special. It's said to have been formed by the tear of a Fae princess who died the day the Dragonheart Diamond was shattered. It is thought to protect its owner from dark magic, although there are a myriad of more fantastic legends about it as well. Perhaps you should look them up sometime."

"Oh, great. It almost sounds like it's someone's attempt to give me more homework," Lucky snorted.

"I can guarantee you it's a very heartfelt gift, Lucky," Corey reassured her. "And I can't think of a better recipient."

"Can't we just get to Jackie's presents now?" Lucky complained.

"Oh, yes, we need to explain that," Alex began.

"Let her see them first, then we'll explain," Aurelius suggested. "They're in your sitting room, Mum."

"I'll go get them," Andrew volunteered, Jennifer watching curiously as Andrew went to the back. She blinked once when she saw that the door now led directly into her own sitting room, blearily remembering now that Hermione had said something about moving some doors around last night. A moment later he came back in, and Jennifer squealed in complete surprise when she saw him holding up three robes and three dresses. "I take it that's approval?" he laughed as she ran over and grabbed them out of his hands.

"They're all Minerva's!" Jennifer said in amazement. "And they're all exactly what I was looking for! How is this possible?"

"Well, it all started when I walked into Toby's shop the other day and I saw that forest green one," Alex explained, Jennifer staring at her in surprise. "It was just hanging there by itself on the back wall, and I rather was thinking about getting it, and then Toby apologized and told me it wasn't in my size, and when I asked him what size it was, he said, 'your Mother's,' so I got the hint and bought it. Then later on, I found out the very same thing happened to Alicia and that black silk one, and I started getting suspicious, and we ran and got Corey. By the time we got back, the silver brocade robe was there, and when we went back to get Lucky for another robe, and then Alicia brought Andrew and Aurelius."

"Well, yes, but I did have to walk out and come back in, because it seems only one dress ever showed up at once," Andrew chuckled.

"I love them all! I can't believe it, it's exactly what I needed, thank you!" Jennifer beamed beatifically. "Man, this must have taken Minerva forever and Toby…Toby has been an absolute saint to me lately," she said, on the verge of tears again.

"Ya, who is that Toby guy, anyhow?" Lucky asked.

"Sorry, Lucky, you're just going to have to figure it out on your own like the rest of us did," Andrew grinned at her.

"But not too soon, I hope," Aurelius said, folding his arms. The others grinned at him knowingly. "There is something else I want to talk to you about, Mum, and I figure now's as good a time as any. I've gone on emergency leave of absence until further notice in the Auror Department. Grandfather already knows about it, actually. He's already got a replacement for me."

"What? Why?" Jennifer frowned at him. Aurelius shrugged.

"I blame Andrew," Aurelius said. Jennifer gazed at Andrew curiously, and he smiled.

"Oh, by the way, Mum, I found a Potion Master for you, if you're interested. I believe you'll find his credentials on the table, already signed by Hermione. He's a little temperamental," Andrew confided in her, getting a dirty look from Aurelius. "But if there's one thing this school should be used to by now is temperamental teachers."

"I know I've never been the talent that all-hands here next to me is," Aurelius said, Corey simply grinning at him. "But I do know the ropes. Something about perfect OWLS and NEWTS and all that…"

"And you swore you'd never teach," Jennifer reminded him, but Aurelius shrugged.

"Family first, Mum. We're Craws as much as Snapes, after all," Aurelius said. "And honestly, I think with everything going on, you're going to need a free hand to do what you need to… not only with the school but also with this Mallus Craw thing still hanging over us. Not to mention the fact that if you're going to be Headmaster, you need someone to handle security and that's something I do know something about."

"Well, I don't know what the board is going to think…come to think of it, I still don't know what the board is even going to think about me," Jennifer said, chuckling to herself with a smile. "But if you're sure you want to do it…"

"I'm sure," Aurelius said, and Jennifer nodded with a smile.

"I suppose this is a good time for me to do my bit?" Alex ventured, and Aurelius nodded. Jennifer glanced over at her curiously as she exchanged a somber look with her husband, who sighed softly. "Mum…we've been talking…I mean, Ben and I…and Morfinn Bliant, and of course the others…"

"Alex, suffice it to say you've been talking to everyone, not that she couldn't have guessed that," Aurelius said. Corey gave him a dirty look.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll just explain that after the New Years trip we promised Lucky, I'm going to be moving out of the Baker Street House," Alex explained.

"What? You're moving out?" Jennifer frowned, glancing at Ben.

"Not them…not Ben and Janus…just me," Alex said, and Jennifer gazed at her in confusion. "Apparently…well, apparently even though being an Omnivox has made life pretty convenient for me at times… we don't exactly make the best parents," Alex said quietly. "Janus' language skills aren't what they should be at this stage, and he's also tested lower than normal on some basic mechanical and other developments where he's been spending less time experimenting and more times just asking me and…well, to make a long story short, I am just not capable of being a 'primary care giver,'" she explained adding the quotes at a weak attempt at levity. "In fact, it's been recommended to us that I not directly interfere short of weekend visitations until our children are at least ready to enter primary school, so uh…I guess I've joined the weekend parent club whether I wanted to or not," she said, smiling wanly.

"Oh, Alex!" Jennifer said hugging her daughter worriedly.

"It'll be all right, Mum," Alicia reassured her. "I'm going to look after Janus and the baby when its born during the day when Ben's at work, and Corey and Rose already volunteered to pitch in when needed."

"Yes, it's all right, I'm just still trying to get used to the idea. Don't worry about it, Mum," Alex reassured her. "Although we have decided that boy or girl, this baby will be our last. We don't want to have to do this any longer than necessary, and it was tough enough to come to grips with how much time I'm going to miss with Ben and Janus as it is. There is good news though," Alex said, brushing her cheeks and allowing herself a grin. "Because now I can be at your disposal as well, and after talking with everyone about what might help the most, I've decided to offer you my research services concerning the Craw ring." Jennifer gazed at her thoughtfully. "I won't run into the same problems with runes and old English and old German and all that like you and Father were doing, and I'm good at digging into things."

"That nobody doubts," Alicia teased.

"So…I'd like to pick up where Father left off as well as whatever you have I might not know about yet. Alicia is going to help me some in the transportation department, and I don't really need to use magic for this sort of research, so it makes the most sense that I be the one to do it. Of course, I am fully supportive of any other family help, but at least in this way one of us is working on it without having a job or outside obligations to worry about…at least except on visitation days," Alex said. "Not to mention having worked at the Ministry I have all the connections to get whatever it is we need."

"I think it's a brilliant idea," Jennifer said with a smile.

"So now that that's covered, is there anything else you need, Mum? Because if so, now's a great time to mention it so we can cover it," Andrew asked.

Just then there was a sour sounding note, and Jennifer glanced up in surprise to see the Severus portrait was on the wall by the Headmaster's desk, somehow having already managed to work his way up to his new wall position at secretary. Gaping at him openly and wondering exactly how he did that, whatever Severus was going to tell her about was immediately cut off by the presence of the Fiddler who had pounced him and was even now playing tug of war with the fiddle that he had been 'borrowing.'

"Wait, when did that painting get in here? It wasn't there when we came in," Alicia said with surprise.

"I thought that painting was downstairs?" Aurelius frowned.

"Yes, well, unfortunately for me, it seems that my new secretary has picked up some of Dusthorn's tricks," Jennifer said dryly, standing up and putting down the dresses to go over there.

"New secretary?" Alicia repeated unsurely.

"Mum, how can you use him as secretary? He's mute," Andrew added.

"I happen to be able to read him fairly well, actually, although I have been having problems with him stealing other paintings violins whenever he wants to speak with me since his is muted," Jennifer said, nodding to the fiddler who finally stalked away with his instrument, muttering. Suddenly she smiled and looked at Alicia. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to paint me one? Perhaps a small one of a comparable size to the one he has?" she suggested. Behind her, the Severus portrait was nodding vigorously.

"I guess, but wouldn't it just be easier to pick another painting as secretary?" Alicia asked carefully.

"No, no it has to be this one," Jennifer said, Lucky gazing at her with a frown while the rest of the children were glancing at each other worriedly. "I'm not going crazy if that's what you're concerned about," Jennifer added with a sigh after she glanced at them over her spectacles. "I simply want to keep the school running as smoothly as possible in Severus' absence, and the best way to do that is to have a secretary who can easily guess what advice he would give in any situation." Aurelius stared fixedly at her trying to read her, while most of the others looked even graver.

"Oh, come on, gimme a break," Lucky sighed. "He ain't comin' back."

"Well," Jennifer said, glancing up at the Severus painting who gazed back at the children broodingly. "I guess we don't know either way, do we? That being the case, whether you understand or approve or not, I'm keeping his options open. If you feel that strongly about it, we can simply forget this whole conversation. I can get by without your help. But I'm not changing my mind. The Severus portrait will be acting as my secretary."

"It's just a painting, Mum," Alicia said.

"How dare you say any painting in this castle is 'just a painting!' and you of all people! Is Caprica Dusthorn also just a painting? Have you all forgotten just how devastating it was last year when the paintings began to fade?" Jennifer snapped.

"Mom, all she meant was that it's not Dad," Corey said quietly.

"Don't you think I know that?" Jennifer snapped. "It's not any of your places to tell me how best to run this school, and whether you like it or not, I am in charge now and I will decide how to conduct this school's business from this time forward. And although I would drop everything to help any one of you in trouble… family comes first, after all… I am not going to sacrifice the security or sanctity of Hogwarts just because you are not comfortable with my choice in secretary! It is my job, not yours, to decide how to run this school, and if you don't like it, Christmas or not, you can get the hell out. Especially you two, Aurelius and Andrew, because I really can't afford to have staff members on board that won't at least give me the benefit of the doubt when I have not given anyone any reason for it!"

Everyone was silent for a moment. In fact, it was so silent, that Lucky felt she had almost heard an echo when the Severus painting leaned against the wall and clapped slowly. Nearby, Lucky saw the figure of Albus Dumbledore, beaming proudly at her mother.

"So…" Aurelius said at last, getting up. "I should head back to the office and finish packing, I think, since I'm sure you'd going to need an agenda from me as soon as possible. What else am I going to need?"

"I'll help you with that," Francis offered.

"Come to think of it, I have my own to set up as well," Andrew mused. "I have a date tonight, but I'll be back in the castle first thing tomorrow morning, Mum."

"Come on, Lucky, we should get back to my house and see if it's still standing," Corey said.

"I think I'll come with you, so we can talk about what all you want to do during our New York trip," Alex offered. "I'll let you know once I'm settled somewhere, Mum, so I can get whatever information you have."

"Can we get a ride, Alicia?" Ben asked.

"Sure thing," Alicia said, getting up. "What kind of violin do you want, Mum?"

"Oh, I don't care, as long as it isn't mute. They all sound the same when he plays them anyhow," Jennifer said. The Severus painting scowled at her in open irritation, and Alicia couldn't help but grin slightly at that.

"Good point," Alicia said, deciding for her own health to leave through the Dumbledore painting instead.

Soon the room grew quiet again and Jennifer sank into the chair with a sigh.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered out loud, staring at the appointment book and the papers in front of her, and then at the candy dish full of chocolate and butter tablets. "And what in the world am I going to do first?" she added with exasperation, nibbling on one of the tablets thoughtfully before suddenly brightening, not even giving a passing look to the Severus painting who was trying to get her attention so he could offer suggestions. "Oh, I know what to do first! Try on my new dresses!" she beamed. Rolling his eyes, the Severus portrait shook his head as he watched her go into her sitting room. Shrugging to himself, he followed her in.


	32. Headmaster Craw

_A/N Happy Memorial Day; have a second chapter. JCWriter_

Chapter Thirty-Two

Headmaster Craw

Even though she had tried on all the clothes the children had gotten her, there was something rather special to Jennifer about the first robe she had bought. From the very first, she knew she would save it for the first board meeting and didn't give it another thought, putting away the rest and wearing her Hogwarts robes while she spent hours on end getting acquainted with the desk and office and even reading up on a bylaw or two when looking over some of the proposals that Hermione had left for her.

Considering the amount of things she had to learn, she was very grateful that she was finally getting a good night's sleep, for Hermione, it seemed, had taken the hint from the night she had tried to sleep in the study chair and had hooked her sitting room up to the old bedroom that she had been in when she first arrived at the school. It had brought back quite a few memories, and although they seemed bitter sweet now, talking about it helped a great deal; for the portrait of Severus was constantly in attendance now during her waking hours. He spent the first few evenings simply listening as she talked herself to sleep before sneaking out to make sure his living half was behaving himself.

The real Severus had grown subdued again for some reason…spending the day after Christmas running errands, and apparently (from what the portrait's number one source had reported) a great deal of it bank business. Perhaps it was about that planned trip, the portrait wondered, hoping to get more information that next day when Severus went to the Ministry to meet up with Samira. But Severus was soon taken aback by the person he saw wandering out of the Auror's office, despite the fact it was the middle of a regular workday and Draco was certain to be in the building.

"Harry?" Severus said thoughtfully, and Harry Potter glanced up from his paperwork with a smile.

"Oh, hi, Severus. How are you doing these days? I haven't seen you in a while," he said warmly.

"Fine, I'm fine. Is something wrong?" Severus asked with concern.

"No, why?" Harry asked curiously.

"You wouldn't normally be here this time of a day if something wasn't going on," Severus said.

"Ah, I see. You haven't been told then," Harry said, Severus staring at him in confusion. "I'm in charge of the Auror department now."

"What?" Severus said in disbelief. "What do you mean you're in charge? Where's Aurelius?"

"He went on an emergency leave of absence citing family reasons," Harry explained quietly, hoping it'd inspire Severus to take his voice down a decibel or two. "Since he didn't give a return date, the Minister of Law Enforcement decided to invoke his emergency powers to fill the position as soon as possible since…under some bylaw he found somewhere or another… the post is of 'vital importance' to the security of the Ministry and its citizens and therefore he has the right to appoint whoever is most qualified to the position. The Minister of Magic has the right to protest, of course, but Thomas found another bylaw that states he can fight any of the Minister of Magic's protests against an appointment by requesting that the appointment instead be approved by a vote of the Wizard's Council," Harry said with amusement. "For some reason, Draco has decided not to protest, at least not directly at any rate. Thomas really is brilliant when he's motivated."

"And brutal," Severus said dryly, Harry nodding in complete agreement. "Do you happen to know exactly what the family emergency was?" he asked. Harry gazed at him fixedly for a moment as if debating how to answer that.

"You know, maybe you ought to take it up with him, actually. He's probably at the castle if you want to talk to him," Harry said.

"At Hogwarts? Why would he be there?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I believe he's going to be the new Potions Master," Harry explained casually.

"What? What happened to Jennifer?" Severus asked, startled.

"Nothing, really, she's just going to be appointed as the new Headmaster this week," Harry said.

"Jennifer?" Severus said incredulously. "My Jennifer?"

"Well, I don't know about the 'my' part, but Jennifer Craw, yeah," Harry said evenly.

"She can't handle that job! What idiot put her there?" Severus asked, but Harry had had enough of being nice.

"Well, all things considering, Severus, you did," Harry said bluntly. "Anyhow, sorry, I have a lot of work to do. Take care of yourself," he added, shaking his head on his way down the hall.

After hearing his spy's report on the matter, the portrait decided that it was quite unlikely that he was going any trouble with Severus for a day or two.

* * *

Jennifer came out of the bathroom in her blue embroidered robe, double-checking her hair one last time before putting on her spectacles, staring in the mirror with a sigh. Seeing movement behind her, Jennifer noticed that the portrait had slipped into her moonlit painting of the ocean.

"How does it look? Horrible?" Jennifer asked nervously, despite the fact that even if she couldn't read him, she knew he thought different from the look in his eyes. His hand went to his neck, and Jennifer glanced in the mirror again. "You're right, my neck does look too bare. But which necklace? I don't think my pearls would look right for this," Jennifer sighed, the painting stepping over to a frame nearer her jewelry box as she went over there to go through it. Suddenly he pointed down, gazing at her.

"Oh, you can't be serious! I can't wear that one, Severus, especially to something like this," she said, taking out her Pumpkin Anniversary necklace. "If I accidentally touched one of your memories at the wrong point, I'd burst into tears or something, I just know it," she protested, frowning at his firm gaze. "And yet you think they would be a strong reminder of why exactly I'm putting myself through all of this, don't you," she sighed. "Fine, I'll go with your advice this once because I told Toby that I would, but if it backfires, I'm holding you responsible. Not that I am quite so sure how to do that to a painting," Jennifer admitted, readily taking his suggestion of her mother's charm bracelet, but without an argument this time. "Have one of the paintings let Aurelius know I'm on my way out and he's in charge until I get back. I am more than ready to get this over with," Jennifer decided, putting her hand in her pocket to see if she remembered her key.

It was then she felt something unexpected, and puzzledly pulled out an envelope with her name on it. It took her a moment to realize that it was Minerva's handwriting, and quickly opened the letter.

_My Dear Jennifer;_

_ These robes were actually begun before my last visit, but for reasons that I am certain must be obvious to you now I could not tell you about them. It was, in fact, just before Merlin himself decided to return. He had asked me to tea, but after being served he spent the majority of it staring out past the patio wall into his garden…he has a very lovely garden. But that particular day he seemed restless and troubled, despite his interest in my telling him about the gown I was experimenting with (you know it well; I ended up turning it into Alicia's wedding gown at his suggestion) he seemed distant, and when I finally got him to answer my questions on what was amiss, he said, "I am worried about Severus and Jennifer."_

_ Of course, the fact that he was worried about the two of you at all had me instantly worried, for the man may be a little absent at times but he isn't the sort that worries without reason. But when I tried to get more out of the man, he simply shrugged and said, "I'm not certain as yet, the decisions haven't been made," he said somberly. "I only know that things are changing, and if they carry on in this manner there are hard times coming indeed." And when I asked if there was something I could do, he said, "Perhaps you might work on some Headmaster robes for Jennifer, she might need them." _

_ After that, he fell to brooding and I couldn't get any more out of him. But after what happened a couple of days ago when we got together at Hogwarts, I began to see why; and after having a long chat with Dumbledore yesterday about his own visit home, I knew things were not as they should be. That said, I hope you forgive me for some liberties I've taken with this and some other dresses I've altered for you. They are not necessarily the style you're used to, but more befitting a Headmaster, I think… hopefully without sacrificing too much vanity in the exchange. And since I know that by the time you read this that events must have deteriorated, I leave you with this sentiment: have faith in yourself; have faith in your staff; have faith in your students; and have faith in your school. Do this, and I'm sure everything will work out no matter how bad things get. _

_ Hogwarts Forever Minerva._

Tears welled in Jennifer's eyes as she folded up the note, but immediately noticed the portrait trying to get her attention, looking concerned.

"No…no, actually, I'm fine," she reassured him, wiping her eyes and adjusting her spectacles. "Believe it or not, I think I'm more ready now than before I read Minerva's letter. I'll see you in a while. Don't you dare get in too much trouble while I'm gone," she chided him. She paused only a moment to grab a folder out of the study, then finally saw her key and put it in her pocket before stepping out the door.

Joanie Weasley, who happened to be hanging out in the hall reading a letter, did a double take when Jennifer walked towards her, stashing the letter away and staring at her in amazement.

"Wow! If I knew you were going to walk in here looking like a headliner, I'd have brought my camera!" Joanie flailed. Jennifer laughed softly.

"I hope that was meant as a complement," Jennifer said with a slight smile.

"You look amazing," Joanie agreed. "I don't suppose you'd come to the Cauldron for tea or something after?"

"Yes, well, better you than him, I suppose," Jennifer murmured mischievously at the Oracle reporter who was sitting at the door watching them fixedly. "Good evening, Arnett."

"Professor Craw," he said, blinking as well.

"Absolute killer new look, Professor," Harold Gimler said before opening the door for her. Jennifer smiled warmly at him and nodded in thanks before walking in.

Stunned expressions met her again by the members of the board as she stepped over to the table; some unsure what to make of it, while Erik and Tonks were smiling at her outright.

"Governors," Jennifer said with a cordial nod to each of them before gently pushing her glasses up. "I am honored to be here."

"You do know why you're here, I presume?" Erik asked with a smile.

"Professor Weasley has recommended that I assume the position of Headmaster pro tempore until which time Headmaster Snape is ready to resume his appointment," Jennifer said smoothly. "I assume therefore I am here to be grilled appropriately as is customary for such a task," she added, Tonks attempting to hide her amusement. "I also brought with me the budget and other concerns for the second half of the school year to look over as well."

"I beg your pardon, Jennifer, and no offense intended," Norman Balmweed jumped in. "But don't you think that's a bit premature, considering you have no idea at all whether or not we would even consider you as a valid applicant to fill in even for a limited amount of time?"

"Norman, even before this consideration, I was already third in administration, so the fact that I am presenting half term information to you in lieu of a Headmaster's absence really shouldn't be surprising. It's been done before when the Deputy was otherwise detained, and also since it was evident that I needed to attend this meeting anyhow, it is only natural that I brought it with me so we don't delay necessary paperwork any more than needed. The students of Hogwarts have faced a rather traumatic situation, and I would rather have the school running as smoothly as possible when they get back," Jennifer said. "Although," Jennifer added before Erik could speak again. "I do want to point out that as a Truth Seeker, I already have some idea of who is for, against or are currently on the line about my appointment already." A couple of the board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Duly noted, Jennifer," Erik said with a thin smile. "As you can imagine, we do have some questions, both about the previous half of the school year and events up to this point, and also some personal questions that relate to your thoughts of this temporary position."

"I'll be happy to answer whatever I can," Jennifer said evenly, and wisplights appeared in the hands of the majority of board members.

"Perhaps we should go around the table then," Erik said with amusement. "Norman?"

Balmweed grunted.

"Fine, I'll go first, but I reserve the right to a follow up later," he grumped, looking over at her. "I'm a bit curious about this sabbatical that the Headmaster has taken…"

"Really, Norman, must we get into that again? These questions are supposed to be about her, not that," Erik sighed.

"Yes, Erik, I know, and I am getting to that. I simply want to know how much she herself knows about the work," Norman said.

"My husband is studying ancient runes, which he has shown an interest in since he became involved with studying and attempting to rebalance Ancient Magic," Jennifer said.

"And do you know with whom he's been doing this work with lately?" he asked. Tonks squinted at him.

"Of course. Miss Samira Lamya, she's an Artifacts specialist from the International Council and has been doing some work here tracking down items for Germany. But the truth of the matter is that Severus has been wanting to get away for some time, and this simply provided an opportunity to do so."

"Are you saying then that a student's death had nothing to do with his decision to leave now?" Norman asked bluntly.

"Of course it had," Jennifer sighed. "I believe that's obvious to everyone, but it doesn't change the fact that he had spoken of leaving before."

"Leaving the school or leaving you?" Norman asked thinly, a solid protest going up by several board members. Some of the others made only a token protest, while the remainder simply gazed at her intently. "Just when did you see your husband last, Jennifer?"

"I see him all the time, actually," Jennifer said evenly. "Although I'm not certain what that has to do with school related business."

"You are expected to keep certain moral standards within the public eye, Jennifer, and there a rumors abounding that the two of you have divorced."

"I wasn't aware you still read _the Oracle_, Norman, but might I point out that marriage and divorce records are public? A mere five minutes of Minister Plum's time is all it would take to clear that matter up. Shall we go down there now?" Jennifer asked.

"I hardly think that is necessary," Erik protested. "Norman…"

"Perhaps you'd then explain why Severus isn't wearing his ring these days?" he asked.

"Our wedding rings are malfunctioning," Jennifer answered immediately, taking hers off and slapping it on the table. "Take it to any jeweler if you like. It'll save me the coin of getting mine checked as well."

"Enough! Norman, this is ridiculous," Erik said

"Not as ridiculous as her explanations," Norman complained.

"Are you actually accusing me of lying?" Jennifer asked, gazing at Norman steadily. The room suddenly went quiet. "I wasn't expecting this sort of inquisition, Erik, or perhaps I would have asked Counselor Vallid to come vouch for me. I simply hadn't realized that my word mattered so little these days, else I would have, or at least brought a phial of Veritaserum with me."

"Jennifer is right, this is way out of line. You have no grounds to accuse Jennifer of anything, Norman! I think we had better move on," Erik said firmly.

"A pity, too, considering the two reporters outside would really have loved to eat up a defamation lawsuit I would have lodged if it had continued," Jennifer said disappointedly, putting her ring back on and ignoring the fixed stare that Balmweed was giving her. "Can we perhaps get back onto the subject of school matters? Because if everyone begins to start picking at rumors aimed at Snape family members this could take all night, considering how the media has attempted to eat us alive for years now."

"I believe I have a valid concern," Caitlyn Shea spoke up, and Erik gratefully nodded to Caitlyn. "I have heard second hand that your Potions classes before the holiday that you were teaching you students different elements of the Oats Bane, even as young as first years, care to explain that?"

"Of course, Caitlyn, I can explain that. We had a pregnant student," Jennifer said evenly. The entire board stared at her in complete shock. "The rabbit familiars in the school clued us in. The different parts of the Oats Bane, potion…which all have been approved for studying for OWLS, by the way… was a way for me to initiate a discussion. If I had noticed anything out of sorts, I would have them in for counseling. I did teach the full potion in fifth to prep for OWLS, I admit, but they were required to turn in any and all test phials…I have full records of that as well if you'd like to see them."

"What about the girl?" Caitlyn asked with a frown, too concerned about the student to care about her teaching the potion anymore.

"She didn't make it," Jennifer said quietly. "It turned out to be Lyra."

"I knew that letting that centaur girl in was a mistake," Balmweed muttered.

"Headmaster Snape does not leave students behind just because it might be inconvenient," Jennifer snapped. "I would not have either had it been me."

"I should warn you, Jennifer, that the majority of this board disagreed with Severus bringing her in," Erik said quietly.

"I don't care what the board thinks. The welfare of the students is more important than petty politics! Accident or no accident, it was not wrong to take Lyra in. She was crafty and intelligent, and her marks were quite good once she got the hang of the homework, and if you doubt it, have a look at them yourself. Now I am beginning to understand however how concerned Severus has gotten about the direction this school board has taken over the last few years. We are not here to compare ourselves to a status quo, or haggle over budgets, or nitpick over the way a proposal is worded, and we're definitely not here to attack each other with any weapon we can get our hands on whether they have live ammunition in them or not. We are educators, and we're here to teach…and hopefully not by just cramming facts into their heads so they look good on tests, either. Personally, I'd like to see them come away with something that will help them in the real world. In short…I'm not here to pamper your asses and I'm not going to be jumping through hoops because you want to throw your weight around. I am here because the students of Hogwarts need me right now, and honestly, I really don't give a damn about anything else," Jennifer said, the board all staring at her in shock, except for Tonks, who has a slow smile of approval creeping onto her face. "So why don't you have your little debate over my abhorrent behavior and have your vote on whether you approve or not. Either way, I'm going to go get a quick cup of coffee, and then I'll be back to answer any questions on the budget and current proposals for rule changes and such on the agenda, so that I can get to work updating the staff and preparing the school for the students arrival next week. Have a nice chat," Jennifer added, before walking out of the room. Outside the door, Jennifer closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before making her way to the coffee pot.

"Did you hear her? What cheek that woman has! To hear her say it, she already has this job in the bag!" Norman protested.

"Well, hasn't she?" Abraxus asked thoughtfully. Norman gawked at him openly, while Erik simply called for the vote, knowing there wasn't really anything left to be said.

* * *

Temporary Headmaster Named for Hogwarts

The school board announced late last evening that Professor Jennifer Craw Snape has now officially taken over as current Headmaster of Hogwarts until her husband's return from his leave of absence. Upon being asked about her future plans for the school, Professor Craw states, "Right now our priority is recovering from the school's recent loss and seeing to the students' direct needs and helping them to move on." Upon questioning about the Headmaster's leave of absence and possible return, Professor Craw would only state that, "the Headmaster has the staff's complete support, and honestly, that's all that matters." The only other comment made was her intention to run the school in exactly the same manner as the Headmaster to make for as smooth a transition as humanly possible.

Severus was so absorbed in the newspaper that he didn't notice Samira come in the pub at first. In surprise, he nearly dropped it in his attempt to fold it up, turning his attention to his coffee as if nothing had happened. Samira smiled at him amusedly from the bar, waiting for one of the girls to get her mead before sauntering over where Severus sat in the far back corner.

"So what is in the _Daily Prophet _today that has you so spooked?" she asked, the smug smile never leaving her face but a coaxing look appearing in her eyes. "You might as well tell me. It isn't as if I can't get a copy and figure it out for myself."

"The board had the nerve to appointment Jennifer as the new Headmaster, believe it or not," Severus sighed, folding it to the right page and handing it to her.

"Really? Is she even capable of handling that sort of job?" Samira asked thoughtfully as she glanced at it. "She doesn't seem much like the leading by example or delegation of duty sort of person."

"No, I think not, and she would need a lot of help to pull it off. But considering the fact that Aurelius has left the Aurors and joined the staff, she is getting outside support as well. It boggles the mind why the board would go along with it, though," Severus said, drumming his fingers in irritation.

"Yes, and what's all this bit with the reporter putting in your name and calling you her husband still? I guess she wasn't told?" Samira asked thoughtfully.

"More than likely intentional due to school reputation issues. Jennifer is required to maintain a certain image; I imagine that, like the leave of absence thing, it is there simply to protect the school's interests. But it's hardly going to matter. This thing will turn out to be a complete disaster."

"In which case, the board will take over and get someone real in there," Samira sighed. Severus frowned slightly, wondering what that was going to do to Jennifer's confidence. "Let the school take care of itself, Severus. I'm sure if it gets out of hand, someone will step in, and honestly, it's no good escaping from a prison just to dwell on life behind bars when you should be appreciating your freedom," she murmured, holding onto his arm.

"You really shouldn't hang onto me like that in public," Severus murmured back. "I don't mind it alone, but honestly, I do care what happens to the school still, and I'd rather ours be seen as a business relationship considering what they're telling the public." Samira moved her hand but sighed with exasperation, putting it under her chin.

"Severus, what am I going to do with you? Because regardless of what I'd like to do, you're not leaving me much room to work…short of work itself, that is," she said with dry amusement. "You're not comfortable in public, but you're not comfortable in your rooms either. Are you ever going to explain to me why you're so uncomfortable around paintings?"

"I don't trust them, and I'd rather just leave it at that," Severus said, finishing his coffee. "Anyhow, I suppose I ought to head up and get a shower in so we can head to the Ministry for the day."

"What a positively tantalizing idea!" Samira purred, her eyes twinkling mischievously at Severus, who simply blinked at her reaction. "Allow me to assist you." Severus stared at her.

"Um…"

"Haven't you ever heard the old adage I'll rub your back, you rub mine?" she murmured playfully, the smile growing across her face.

"I believe that's scratch, actually…"

"Oh, I don't mind that either," she said amusedly. "Besides, Severus, there would be one other benefit to your inviting me along, in that there aren't any paintings in the bathroom." Severus gazed at her unsurely. "Oh, now don't tell me you're prudish the sort that confines sex to the bedroom? Or was it Jennifer's hang-up that confined you?"

"Hardly," Severus said defensively, a little annoyed by the grazing way in which she said that. "As a matter of fact, quite the opposite, thank you, we explored nearly every room in the castle at some point. It's simply that that one wasn't really ever considered seriously by either of us."

"You must be joking. As long as the two of you were married?" she tsked.

"I don't expect you to understand," Severus said irritably. "But between work and marriage, Jennifer and I had very little time to be alone and very little privacy, so we guarded what little we had."

"I suppose that does make sense, actually, although it's no wonder you got burnt out on the relationship like that," Samira murmured, the smile still lingering, "of course, you've only succeeded in making me more determined to get you in there now."

"And why is that?" Severus asked, his voice still on the defensive despite the fact of how aware of her presence he was when she sidled up closer to him, distractedly running her finger around the rim of her mug.

"Because it'd be a new adventure on more than one level," she said softly, but she was close enough to his ear now that he could plainly hear her. "And the idea of your finally giving into what I'm sure has been on your mind for weeks now is nothing compared to fact that since you've never done it before, I need not worry about nasty memories getting the way of us enjoying ourselves. It'd be our moment and ours alone. I only hope the hot water holds out enough for everything I have in mind once we get in there," she added mischievously. She got up and walked over to the stair, getting to the bottom before finally gazing back at him, her smile turning smug again when she saw how fixedly he had been watching her. "Coming?" Severus hesitated and glanced around, but no one had seemed to notice. "It's all right, Severus, you don't have to come right away, feel free to take your time. Come whenever you like," she said slyly. Growling softly to himself, Severus finally got up and followed her up the stairs, watching her as she waited by the door with a triumphant smile on her face.

"You really are the most impossible woman I have ever met in my entire life," Severus swore. He opened the door, glancing around to make sure Rasputin was nowhere in the area before letting her in. Descartes hissed menacingly from his perch but made no other protests.

"Perhaps that's why you want me so much," Samira said, barely giving him enough time to close the door before wrapping her arms around him and letting them wander.

"No, no…in there," Severus insisted.

"Eager are we?" she purred, following him over to the door. But just as they got inside and Samira pulled him into a kiss, Severus heard a threatening hiss.

Blinking in surprise, Severus pulled away and glanced in the tub, his jaw dropping when he saw that apparently Rasputin had made a bed of it. The large lizard rested his head on the side of the tub and eyed them a moment before hissing again.

"Go away. I bite," Rasputin hissed.

Samira turned around in surprise and started to growl furiously, clenching her fists in frustration.

"Rasputin, what in the devil are you doing in there? Get out of there at once!" Severus hissed.

"No, I like it here. But I don't like her. She is not a lady," Rasputin hissed.

"You didn't tell me your basilisk slept in the tub!" Samira said irritably.

"He has never done it before!" Severus protested.

"What?" Samira said, staring at the basilisk, who hissed at her threateningly again. "Why, that vile lizard is deliberately trying to stop us!"

"Now how could he have possibly known what we were planning, Samira, be reasonable. It must be simply a matter of bad timing is all," Severus said, nudging her out the bathroom door.

"Simply a matter of bad timing?" Samira repeated in disbelief.

"Best stand back, I'm going to go bring him out of there," Severus said.

"Come near me, and I will stone you," Rasputin threatened Severus. Severus stared at him.

"Then again, how about you run along to the Ministry? This is probably going to take awhile," Severus said with a sigh.

Samira growled again angrily, still completely convinced that somehow what had happened was intentional. As she turned towards the door, she happened to glance up at a painting beside it and paused when she saw a portrait of Severus himself, the tint and shadows obviously not matching the surrounding countryside scene as he stood there with his arms crossed, leaning on a tree and gazing at her so fixedly that she squinted at him. Seeing her reaction, he mockingly bowed and gestured her towards the door.

"So that's it, is it?" Samira said, suddenly seeing why Severus was so hesitant around the paintings. "I don't know who you're working for yet, but I suggest you quit before I lose my temper. There is nothing you can do to stop our relationship; sooner or later I will get what I want. And if you don't stop trying to interfere, I guarantee that I will do everything in my power to put you out of commission." The portrait stared unconcernedly back at her, making an obscene gesture. "Oh, you can count on that," she said curtly and stormed out.

The portrait shook his head and listened to his living self try to coax Rasputin out of the tub, contemplating his next course of action. Quickly the portrait left the painting he was in and made some arrangements with some of the other paintings before finally wandering back over to the castle and into his own frame.

"There you are," Jennifer sighed when she noticed him. "Where have you been all morning? I'm at wits end trying to figure out some of these forms and exactly what it is I'm supposed to be approving on some of them. I thought you said you were going to help me!" Jennifer complained, glancing at him. "What do you mean, you have been helping me?" she asked, but he immediately stuck his nose in a book, covering his face. "Oh, well, that's just peachy! I swear, painting or not, you can be just as obstinate as the real Severus at times!"

The portrait suddenly lowered the book, a sinister smile on his face. But Jennifer didn't have much time to ponder his thought of "that is the entire point" for long, for his thoughts had already turned his attention to the paperwork she was struggling over.


	33. Paranoia

_A/N Short but cute chapter here. Also, don't miss chapter 32, Headmaster Craw, the bonus chapter I sent last night. JCWriter._

Chapter Thirty-Three

Paranoia

Severus woke up the next morning and flipped over the calendar, acknowledging the start of the New Year with no more than a passing glance as he headed to the bathroom. Samira had been in such a foul mood after the incident with Rasputin, not that he really blamed her; but it had definitely affected her work the rest of the day. He was glad it finally grew late enough that he could slip away, somehow managing to escape without her insistence of sharing a drink afterwards. Apparently it was just as well; for by the time he got home, the Three Brooms was completely packed, for Rosmerta decided to throw a party. Deciding that was the last thing he needed at that point, Severus got himself a new bottle of wine and slipped upstairs, muffling his room against the noise.

He woke with a slight headache, and his eyes still aching from strain, despite how much rest he had gotten. It was silliness, he realized, to keep on imbibing carrot potions to try and avoid his spectacles like he had. It wasn't as if Samira would say anything about them now, and really, it didn't make him look that old, did it? He frowned at the mirror, slicking his black hair back in a tail and then putting them on speculatively, trying to make up his mind on the subject. That was when he happened to notice something in the mirror behind him and he turned around with a look of complete horror on his face.

There was a painting on the wall.

Staring at the painting completely aghast, Severus ran out of the bathroom, threw on his robe, and went scurrying down to Rosmerta who was helping one of her girls do inventory. Rosmerta looked up in surprise, growing alarmed when she saw the expression on Severus' face.

"There's a Unicorn in my bathroom!" Severus said furiously, Rosmerta's jaw dropping. "Why is there a Unicorn in my bathroom?"

"A real Unicorn?" Rosmerta asked cautiously.

"No, no, no, a painting!" Severus snapped, Rosmerta sighed.

"Oh, a painting. And here the way you're bellowing, I thought it was something serious…"

"It _is_ serious! I can't get any of the paintings in my rooms off! How did it get in there?" Severus demanded.

"Well, I didn't put it there, Severus, but I will help you get it down," Rosmerta sighed, handing her clipboard off to the girl next to her. "Here, Karen, I'll be right back." The girl leaned over the bar a little to watch them walk back upstairs, shaking her head.

"Barmy! Completely barmy!" she said, and then went back to work.

Rosmerta peered in at the painting a moment, glancing at Severus.

"Well, it is one of mine; it's out of the sitting room," she said thoughtfully.

"Never mind that, could you please just remove it?" Severus asked.

Severus waited by the door as Rosmerta went in and tried to take it off the wall, a bit puzzled when it didn't come off. Pondering it a moment, Rosmerta then murmured a charm, tried again, and then frowned and tried a second one.

"Hm. Does seem rather stuck, doesn't it?" Rosmerta said, Severus blinking at that. "It seems to like it there. Are you sure you can't live with it?"

"What? No, I want it out of my bathroom! You said yourself it doesn't belong there!"

"Oh, don't be such an art critic, Severus, it's not that bad of a painting!" Rosmerta tsked.

"It's not about that! It's about the fact that my daughter can look in any moment and spy on me!" Severus snarled.

"Is that what this is about?" Rosmerta said in obvious surprise but also with some relief. "Well, if that's the problem, why don't you just put a towel over it?"

"For one thing because she can still hear!"

"Oh, goodness, Severus, I hardly think she'd be interested in any sounds coming from a bathroom," Rosmerta said impishly, a flush of color coming into Severus' face. "I'd think you should be more worried about the bedroom if it came to that…"

"She can also probably come out of a painting that's covered up!" he snapped. "As for the bedroom, I would like those removed as well, now that you mention it."

"All right, Severus, let me check the ones in the bedroom, but honestly, considering that you have a son who can turn invisibility at will, one that can read your mind, a daughter who can unlock any door and a daughter who can read encoded messaging without effort, I think Alicia is the least of your problems if you're looking for privacy. Not to mention that most of them inherited their mother's curiosity," she added. "If I were you, I'd start making a serious effort in making peace with your children, because if they decide to gang up on you, you're going to be in serious trouble." Severus frowned, watching somberly on as she began taking down paintings. She paused a moment to rub Rasputin's head when he nudged her leg hopefully. Severus squinted at him. "Hm," she said, and Severus looked back up again as she puzzled over a large painting of the main street of Hogsmeade. "I seem to have another one that doesn't want to come off."

"What?"

"Well, I did get the others off," Rosmerta said defensively when she saw his expression.

"That's because it only takes one in a room to spy on me!" Severus said furiously. "It must be Alicia's doing! I don't know how, exactly, but who else could it be?" he asked. "Well, I am going to go down there and make her stop!"

"In your bathrobe?" Rosmerta asked. Glaring at her, Severus grabbed some regular robes out of the drawer and stomped to the bathroom. He then stopped to glare at the beautiful blue-eyed Unicorn mare before promptly putting a towel on her so he could get dressed.

He then stormed out of the pub, ignoring Rosmerta's comments that she couldn't get any in the sitting room off at all. He strode straight over to Alicia's new studio, which had been built right where Pyther's used to be, only to find himself staring at a sign that read: Closed For New Years. Muttering, he went around the back to a gabled wooden door and pounded on it, glaring at it when nobody answered it. He reached to grab his shell from his pocket, belatedly remembering his Chest Cloak had been damaged.

"Fine! I'll wait! But in the meantime, I'm going to be making changes! I will _not_ be outsmarted by paintings!" Severus shouted at the closed wooden door before storming back up the street, everyone giving him a very wide berth when he passed them.

* * *

Jennifer paused her story long enough to pass a couple of pillars and an empty corridor, the portrait of Severus waiting on the other end as they continued their walk.

"So anyhow, I tried to spend the time Lucky came in there not only making better friends with her, but also getting some feeling to where she was staying and all that, although she did tend to move around. To be fair, she also knew what areas of town to avoid, but obviously something had to change," she explained, gazing over at his thoughtful face as he walked through the Serengeti Plains and then through a portrait of an old witch who blinked in surprise when he walked through. "Oh, he heard about it the hard way," Jennifer explained dryly. "I had planned to write to him, really! But then he showed up early after he had trouble with those crystals of his… I mean the ones in the Staff Library…I keep forgetting you were painted well before that," she admitted as they walked, pausing while they went by the stairs.

Just below them, Hermione was just coming back to the castle and walking to her office when she heard voices and looked up, wondering whom Jennifer was talking to. She blinked in surprise and then backed up a bit to watch them with a dropped jaw as they continued down the hall. Thinking it over, Hermione turned and entered the secret passages.

"Anyhow, when he showed up, Sally decided to sit them next to each other at the bar, and of course it didn't take long for Severus to figure out what was up. I'm sure you can guess what his first reaction was," Jennifer said with a grin. The portrait smiled thinly in return. "When did he change his mind? I suppose when he started digging into why the magic schools in the States wouldn't take her, I think. Honestly, I was still mad at him at that point, but I'm sure considering his own past, it probably struck a chord with him. Especially since she was forced to…oh, Hermione!" Jennifer said with surprise. Hermione smiled at her strangely from where she stood in the hall. "Sorry, didn't hear you come in. Just get back? How was Christmas?"

"Great! Although it's good to be back just the same," she said, glancing at the Severus portrait who nodded at her gently before turning to watch the Quidditch game being played out in the painting he was in. "What are you doing, Jennifer?"

"Oh, we were just taking a walk, really. I needed a break from the study, to be honest," she admitted.

"A walk? In the castle?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I can hardly walk with him outside the castle, can I?" Jennifer snorted. "Besides, I was getting him caught up on some things he missed while hanging around my office all the time all these years. He's a bit out of touch," she said, glancing over at Severus who was firmly denying it. "When it comes to things happening outside the castle, yes you are," Jennifer said firmly. "Anyhow, I'm ready for agendas and such whenever…could you check downstairs and see how Aurelius is coming with his as well? I gave him the run of my office but I'm afraid he's not used to my organization skills," she said, then noticed Severus shaking his head. "What do you mean, 'or lack thereof?' Besides, my organization skills aren't half as bad as your violin playing," she retorted, walking away with Severus following right beside her, moving from frame to frame.

Hermione grimaced worriedly, wondering what to do. Well, maybe Aurelius had some ideas, she thought, cutting back down the stairs. It was then she heard another set of voices and followed them to the main entrance hall to see Alicia and Alex walking in together, Alicia with a small framed painting in hand.

"Oh, good, you're just who I wanted to see right now…at least some of them," Hermione said, barely acknowledging their attempts at greeting her. "Glad you're here, though."

"We were just coming in to talk to Mum and deliver the violin painting I made for the Severus portrait," Alicia said.

"Actually, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about," Hermione admitted. "I'm rather worried that maybe your mother is getting a little too attached to that painting. I mean, as a substitute." Alicia looked thoughtful.

"But Hermione, the entire reason she wanted to use that painting was so she could count on him to give her advice on how father would have run things here," Alex said.

"Yes, but I think it's more than that. I just saw them taking a walk through the fifth floor hallways together. That's not normal painting behavior, let alone…well, I just want to make certain Jennifer's okay…"

"We'll talk to her, Hermione," Alicia assured her.

"Thanks. I'll be in my office for a few hours if you need me," Hermione said, going back up the stairs. Alex gazed at Alicia thoughtfully.

"So what do you make of that?" Alex asked.

"I'm not sure," Alicia admitted as they walked up the stairs themselves. "I was just wondering…well, if something happened to Francis…if I would start talking to his painting."

"Well, maybe, but I doubt she thinks of it as anything more than a painting though," Alex said.

"I'm sure she does to some extent," Alicia said. "I mean, we don't exactly treat Caprica like a painting either."

"Well, she's different, really," Alex said.

"All Headmaster paintings are different. Francis told me a long time ago that once someone becomes a headmaster, the paintings start to pick up some special traits…just like the Headmasters themselves pick up special powers when they're in the school," Alicia explained.

"Really? Like what?" Alex asked curiously.

"Well, we just passed the fifth floor, right?" Alicia said.

"I think so, yes," Alex agreed, and Alicia got the attention of the nearest painting.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Headmaster Craw might be?"

"She's in her study waiting for you and your sister, Mrs. Pyther," the wizard said solemnly.

"Yep, I'd say it's starting to rub off then," Alicia said, while Alex was still wondering how she had gotten there so fast. "Come on, since she's already up there, let's take the elevator," she winked, nodding to the portrait.

"I'm all for that!" Alex agreed brightly, and in the blink of an eye they were climbing out of Dumbledore's portrait.

"Ah, there you are!" Jennifer smiled warmly at them. "Oh, good! You brought the violin, thank you!" she said, glancing at it, pleased, while Severus was protesting by pointing it at an empty spot on the wall insistently. Jennifer laughed softly. "Here, you'd better let me hang it up, he's getting impatient…have a seat. How was New York?"

"Loud," Alicia said.

"New York is always loud," Alex pointed out.

"Yeah, but nothing like it was on New Year's Eve," Alicia said. "Loud, cold, and full of obnoxious and rude drunks wearing funny wigs and hats."

"Lucky loved every moment of it," Alex pointed out.

"I bet she did," Jennifer laughed as she put up with the painting with a smile. Immediately Severus was over there, picking it up and looking it over before walking back in his frame and experimentally trying a few notes before frowning. "He thinks it's out of tune."

"The only thing out of tune is him, Mum," Alicia protested, Severus scowling at her. "I copied it one I sketched at the London Symphony Orchestra. Besides, you said all he needs it for is to get your attention, right?"

"True," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "Although he's been thinking about perhaps coming up with some key note patterns as well…for 'Guest', 'Danger', 'Student Emergency'…that sort of thing. School stuff."

"Sounds like a good idea," Alicia agreed. "Although, there's something we would like to talk to you about."

"Certainly. Have some tea…don't worry, it's herbal, no caffeine,' Jennifer insisted, getting herself a cup as well. "So what is it, Alicia?"

"Well, someone might have confided to us that you might be getting unusually attached to a particular painting in the school," Alicia admitted.

"Oh, Hermione found you already, did she?" Jennifer said, shaking her head. "I'm not changing my secretary painting, girls, and I'm not getting into that again."

"It's not that part we're worried about, Mum. It's the personal attachment that's troubling," Alicia said. "In fact, she's not the only person that's come to me and asked if I thought you were using him as a substitute, or an escape."

Jennifer sighed and gazed up at Severus who met it expressionlessly.

"Alicia, I go to bed every night in a cold room with no one to shut the windows for me and no sound except my own breathing, and no snore to comfort me when I've woken up from the middle of the night from a nightmare. When I wake up in the morning, the windows are still open, the covers are still on, and I smell neither coffee nor pipe smoke from the next room. So what if I try to console my miserable reality by talking things over with a painting? If it hadn't been for him, I'd have simply spent that time in front of a mirror instead, because I certainly don't feel comfortable bothering you children about it. I should think you would be happy that at least I'm talking things out instead of trying to bury it, rather than condemn me for something I know for a fact that all six of you children have done at one time or another," Jennifer said.

"We just want to help, Mum," Alex said, glancing over at the portrait. But the portrait wasn't looking at them. He was making subtle gestures to a painting across from them, and Alex glanced over curiously at where a young Corey painting gestured back. Seeing Alex looking at him, Corey ducked out of sight.

"Well, it'd really help me if you'd just drop this," Jennifer sighed, gazing over at Severus who nodded solemnly. "I have a lot on my shoulders right now and I have enough people challenging everything I do without family doing it too."

"You're right," Alex said, Alicia looking at her in surprise. "We have too much to do to start questioning each other. Time to try trust for a change," Alex said, gazing at the portrait again who squinted thoughtfully. "Is it okay if I use the cabin? Aurelius offered it for me to use while I'm working on that ring." Jennifer sighed.

"You'll have to clear it with the centaurs, Alex, I dare not go near there with everything that's happened."

"Yes, Mum," Alex said, getting up. Alicia followed her lead, gazing at her questioningly. "Come on, Alicia, let's run down and see Aurelius real quick."

"All right," Alicia said.

"Thanks again, have a good evening girls," Jennifer said, reluctantly pushing her tea aside and looking over her papers. "I swear, I'd like to get through just one day without someone questioning everything I do," she sighed. "I suppose that goes with the job, doesn't it?" she asked, glancing at the portrait to see he was not in his frame. "Oh, no, now where is he off to?" she said with exasperation, picking out some of the work she knew she could finish without help.

* * *

Samira knocked and the door opened on its own, so she peeked inside cautiously.

"Is it safe?" she asked.

"Safe as its going to get in here," Severus said, and Samira stepped in, a smile creeping over her face when she saw that all the paintings had been covered.

"Now there's an improvement," Samira said approvingly, peeking behind one. "Are those bars around the frames?"

"Yes, I've spent all day putting them in, as well as mute spells. There will be no more interruptions," Severus said firmly. Samira smiled and closed the door, walking over to him and putting her arms around him. "I even caged Rasputin for the evening."

"I believe I'm starting to admire your style, Severus," Samira said appreciatively.

"You don't know my style yet, Samira," Severus murmured.

"Perhaps you'd be interested in showing me then, if you're so inclined," Samira purred.

"Perhaps I shall now that I am certain we'll no longer have to worry about those blasted paintings anymore," he agreed, kissing her again.

It was at that point that they heard the sound of a violin.


	34. Craws at Work

_A/N Second Chapter of the day. Thanks for all the reviews, guys! JCWriter_

Chapter Thirty-Four

Craws at Work

The next morning, Jennifer woke to the sound of a violin. She smiled at stretched, gazing over at the moonlit painting and at the portrait lingering there. "Good morning! It's going to be good to have the students back in the castle again!" she said enthusiastically. "And what have you been up to all night? No good, I suppose," she said knowingly, while he shrugged innocently. "You spent the whole night practicing violin?" she said dubiously, getting up. Suddenly he paused as if listening to something. A moment later, he plucked the string to get her attention as she picked out a robe.

"What is it? Oh, he's back?" she said thoughtfully. "I think I had better head down there then. I really hope he's doing all right," Jennifer said, quickly getting dressed.

Her mind instantly went to that last night she had seen Sagittari, so broken up over losing his daughter that it broke her heart to look at him. Despite all that, he had returned… Jennifer was quite unsure what to expect. Curiously, it didn't seem to take her long to get down the stairs, although the walk to the hut seemed the same, and Jennifer found herself longing for springtime, flexing her fingers a bit from the cold before she knocked on the door.

It was not long before Sagittari answered the door, gazing at her with open surprise at how different she looked. Jennifer too found herself surprised as well; for although the changes were much more subtle, there were lines around his eyes that hadn't been before and a greyness to his hair as if the cloudy sky had brushed gently against the top of his head and left the color behind.

"Welcome back, Sagittari," Jennifer said with a warm smile.

"Please come in, Jennifer," Sagittari said, stepping back out of her way, "Or should I say, Headmaster?"

"So you've heard at least some of it then," Jennifer said as she came in, closing the door.

"Hermione was still awake when I arrived last evening. We had a long talk," Sagittari said quietly. "And I am very sorry to hear about Severus leaving because of what happened."

"It was far from the only reason, Sagittari," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps, but it is wrong for him to blame himself for it, just as it is wrong to blame myself for it," Sagittari said solemnly, getting her some coffee. Jennifer nodded slowly. "When I left, I was uncertain if I was doing the right thing in going, but once I got to the Constellation, I realized why it was so important for me, for the constellation on Crete did something that the Dark Forest one has never done. They actually listened to me before they tried to advise me. The constellation here doesn't listen to each other so much as they listen to the stars…but the Cretan centaurs are scholars first and foremost, not warriors. Although, to be fair, they also don't seem to have as strong wild magic either."

"That makes sense, though. After all, it was the Dark Forest constellation's duty to protect the wild magic of this area, and to protect the Spear. Of course they would resist any changes that would take them away from that goal," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps so, but you can't preserve magic by causing it to stagnate," Sagittari said.

"Of course not, which is why you're the Wild Sentinel, and not any of them," Jennifer said. Sagittari nodded solemnly. "Although it sounds to me like you seem to be closer to the one on Crete than your father's constellation."

"Yes…Stargazer Garion is a scholar as well, and a healer. He is a very just centaur. You would like him," Sagittari said. "And Star Aster as well, she is a good cook. I spent many hours fishing with her, and she taught me a new trick or two while I was there on baking. They do not have the same stigmas about separating mares and stallions there; only during the Constellations at Solstice and Equinox are those customs observed."

"Sounds quite progressive for centaurs…no offense intended," Jennifer added but Sagittari quickly waved it away.

"I agree with my people's overall dedication to preserve the past, but not all traditions are good ones, Jennifer, and I think I realize that more than ever. One should not sacrifice the future in favor of the past, we cannot move forward that way," he said quietly.

"Yes," Jennifer agreed.

"And what of you, Jennifer? Are you moving forward?" Sagittari asked solemnly, and Jennifer instantly realized that Hermione must have had words with him on that too.

"Yes, I am," Jennifer said sincerely. "And in a way that preserves the past as well."

"That is good to hear, then," Sagittari said, although Jennifer noted he didn't sound completely convinced.

"Let me know when you have your agendas done and the animals taken care of," Jennifer said with a smile, getting up. "Then perhaps if you have the time, I should probably come down for a checkup. I know the board tends to like such things on records, and I for one would like to ease any concerns the staff might have about my current welfare."

"I think that's probably wise," Sagittari agreed. Jennifer smiled and excused herself, thinking over the conversation for a while before nodding to herself, more reassured that he was ready to get back to work. Meanwhile, in his hut, Sagittari had made the same conclusion about her, cleaning up quickly and walking out to the barn to resume his duties.

* * *

Just after Rosmerta opened up the next day, Severus glanced up to see Alicia standing there with her hands in her coat pockets and gazing at him sternly.

"You wanted to see me, Dad?" Alicia asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. And since when do you call me 'Dad'?" he asked, folding his paper and standing.

"Since you started screwing up to the point that Father no longer seemed appropriate," she said flatly. "The others have been doing it behind your back for awhile now too, actually."

"Never mind that! I want to know what's going on with the paintings in my rooms!" Severus said irritably. Alicia stared at him expressionlessly. "And if you have been messing with them, I'd like it stopped at once." Alicia sighed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you're having trouble with a painting, let me take a look," Alicia said.

"It isn't just one painting. It's nearly all of them," Severus said, leading her upstairs. "Some of them won't come off the walls… even Rosmerta couldn't get them off, short of cutting out the wall. And I keep hearing a badly played violin at random times during the day and night, even after I've muffled them all." Alicia walked in and stopped short just inside the door as she gaped at her father's handiwork, raising her brow at the covered frames and the strange bumpy surface sticking out from all the towels and curtains in front of them. She reached up and uncovered one, staring at the bars a moment around the pub scene with a sigh.

"What are the bars for, Dad?" she asked.

"Security," Severus retorted, and Alicia gave him a long hard look before noticing there was a couch and decided to put her feet up.

"Father, have you ever known me to invade your personal space through a painting?" Alicia asked.

"Not first hand, no…" Alicia gave him a dirty look.

"Not second hand either, there's a dragon under the bed after all," she said.

"Oh, that's just Rasputin, although I admit he's been in a foul mood lately," Severus muttered.

"That's not what I meant. Ever since we were old enough to walk, there's been a dragon under yours and Mum's bed. Yes, I know, you only told us that story to keep us out of it until we were old enough to understand the 'no kids allowed' rule, but you'd be amazed the psychological effect that puts on a person subconsciously… especially knowing how little kids trust their parents. I mean, I may know there's not a dragon, but then again, knowing how you are, you may have some device that can summon a dragon under the bed, and even if not, sure as nightfall if I did ever try to invade your personal space for some reason of mischief, the dragon I discounted for so many years would descend out of nowhere and make me lunch," Alicia said. Severus rolled his eyes at her. "As far as I know, short of an emergency none of us have ever crossed that line…except that one time with Zoë, I guess, but considering that she and Zack could pop in here any time they wanted anyhow, it's a moot point."

"Thank you for pointing that out," Severus said irritated, having never thought of that.

"While we're at it, I should also point out that this covering up all the paintings and the bars and mute thing wouldn't have worked anyhow," Alicia said, Severus frowning at her fixed gaze. "You have an open window, a fireplace, and a crack beneath the door, any of which could easily let in a quick sketch if I needed to get in here or spy on you or whatever else it is you're accusing me of. I've even been experimenting with invisible paper and ink, but so far that's proved trickier than it sounds," she admitted. Severus stared at her. "That said, do you still care where the paintings are?"

"Yes," Severus said flatly. "There's still that violin business and I would still feel more comfortable if we can get all the paintings out of the bedroom and bathroom at least."

"Oh, this is about Samira then," Alicia said, getting back up, watching as her father's face drained of all color. "All right, I'll look at them. Sure you just aren't being paranoid about us finding out? Because if that's it, we all know about it."

"Fortuna as well?" Severus asked slowly.

"Yep," Alicia said, walking into the bedroom thoughtfully. "She found out the same as the rest of us, when Mum collapsed at the Yule Ball. Apparently, she had a few words with Minister Coffers…that's when the glass started breaking, if you heard anything about that…she even took the chandelier out."

"Is she alright?" Severus asked with alarm, but Alicia shook his head, not looking at him.

"She was crushed, Dad, absolutely crushed," Alicia said bluntly. "And grandfather was furious."

"That part I know," Severus said quietly. "Alicia, she's only…we haven't done anything…"

"Well, if these stupid towels and bars are any indication, I'd say it wasn't for the lack of trying," Alicia said, Severus growing quiet. "Can you take some of this stuff off? Never mind, I'll just use this one," she said, looking up.

Severus blinked at her then glanced up to see what she was looking at, his jaw dropping and his eyes growing wide as he saw there was a humongous painting of fanciful dragons playing poker and smoking cigars centered right over the bed.

"How in the hell did that get in there?" Severus shouted in dismay, still staring at it agape while Alicia merely gazed at it speculatively. "You don't see anything weird about that?"

"Well, I admit I'd love to learn how to hang pictures like that. If I can use the ceiling space in my studio, it'll be a lot longer before we have to expand," Alicia mused, gazing at it thoughtfully.

"I am being intentionally sabotaged! Someone is deliberately doing this to piss me off!" Severus snapped. "How are these paintings getting here?"

"I don't know exactly, Dad, but are you wearing your Snoop Chain?" she asked. Severus frowned.

"As a matter of fact, I don't really take it off these days…"

"Has it been going off in your room?" she asked.

"No," Severus admitted. "But then how do you explain that?" he said, gesturing up at the ceiling.

"Well, the only obvious conclusion would be that they're moving themselves," Alicia said. Severus stared at her. "These are all paintings that were already in the Three Brooms, after all. In fact, I'm surprised Rosmerta isn't already up here howling about this one since it's one of those that she has hanging behind the bar."

"This isn't Hogwarts, Alicia. Magic or not, paintings don't normally move themselves. In fact, they don't often even do it at Hogwarts…" Severus squinted. "I wonder if Caprica is awake."

"She wasn't when I went over there yesterday," Alicia said. "Actually, considering it seems almost spontaneous, I'd wonder if you weren't doing it."

"What?" Severus said with a deadpan stare.

"Well, considering what all is going on, Father, you could be doing it subconsciously. Maybe you're trying to prevent yourself from doing something you're going to regret someday," Alicia said apologetically when she saw his expression. "It'd also explain your familiars being edgy and the bad violin playing that comes out of nowhere. Maybe it's guilt." Severus' expression darkened.

"I have the right to make my own decisions with my life! I have the right to decide where I want to live, I have the right to decide what job I have, and I have the right to decide who I want to be with!" Severus snapped.

"Yes, I agree," Alicia said expressionlessly, unperturbed by his sudden outburst. "In fact, all of us agree with you. Mum agrees with you too, even though it's killing her, because she wants you to be happy. Lucky does have problems with it, but she's still pretty young and has a complicated past. I was just offering a possible explanation, that's all. If it'll make you sleep better, I'd suggest you cover the paintings at night and get your chain checked to make sure it's working…it might cheer Tassels and Panning up. In fact, if anyone's been taking this separation hard, it's them," Alicia chuckled. "But if it will keep you from torturing the paintings in here…" she said, glancing at the wary faces peering out of some of the scenes, "I promise I'll never come into this room except by the door short of an absolute emergency. I would owe you that much even if you weren't my father, considering what you did for Francis. But you are my father, and that's something that can't be changed no matter what you choose to do, because of all the choice you have, you still can't pick your relatives. Disown, yes…but pick them? No," Alicia said with a smile, but her father seemed quite lost in his own thoughts. "I'd better get back to work, but I do hope you take my advice and stop blaming the paintings for your problems. I'm sure they'd cooperate more if you weren't quite so hostile towards them," she advised before walking out of the bedroom and then out the sitting room door.

Severus fell on the bed with a sigh, staring up at the obnoxious painting for a long time.

* * *

Alex stopped several times to chat in the halls of the Ministry, even pausing in the Auror's office to gab with Jamie for awhile before she finally made it to the Artifacts office.

"Why, it's Alex Clemmons!" Coffers said with surprise from where he stood near one of his clerks, going over paperwork. "Are you back to work at last?"

"Oh, no, not until after the baby is born," Alex explained with a smile. "After that I'm not sure…well, it's a long story, really. I'm actually here on my mother's behalf, looking up her concerns on the ring."

"Really?" Coffers said thoughtfully. "I thought your father was still looking into that, since so much of it is matched so closely to what Miss Lamya is working on."

"Oh?" Alex said with a frown. "Actually, I haven't been in contact with my father since he's gone on sabbatical, I just knew he was working on runes. How is the work related?"

"As related as they can get, I'd say, considering Mr. Snape is looking for a flute owned by the same minstrel as the hurdy gurdy," Coffers said.

"A hurdy what?"

"It's a stringed instrument, popular by wandering minstrels in the medieval period," Coffers explained. "At any rate, I believe that Miss Lamya has nearly all the tomes and folders on her. She's usually in after lunch, though, if you care to wait…I know she's mentioned before that she's wanted to meet the local Omnivox."

"I think I shall, thank you," Alex said with a smile.

"Good! I'll be going to lunch now, but let my clerks know if you need anything at all," Coffers said. Alex smiled and waved him away before immediately sitting down at Otto's desk and lacing her fingers.

"And just what do you know about Lamya's work?" Alex asked with a smile.

In no time, Alex had found out enough to make some decisions and had the clerks fetching her files before settling down at the table with a ton of work and a pillow behind her back, scribbling lines of curlicues on the paper next to her. With most of the office at lunch except for a couple of clerks who were hard at work, the room was quiet except for the scratching of quills on the paper, so Alex had no trouble picking up the sound of heels in the hall, looking up in time to see Samira Lamya walking in the door.

Alex studied her carefully, having to admit to herself that the woman was an absolute knockout with the black hair falling down just so it seemed to draw attention to her rear and how high the skirt was on her 'business attire', and a tiny waist that made her bombshell figure look even curvier. Soon aware that she was being watched, Samira looked over at the table, almost instinctively flipping her hair back so that it would hang right after the movement, and then frowned at the woman sitting at the table with perfectly pursed lips and searching dark blue eyes. There was also something very familiar about her; something Alex couldn't pinpoint but made her wonder if they had met before. But before she could wonder too much about it, Alex realized she was being sized up as if she were potential competition. Deciding to ignore the harsh gaze, Alex merely smiled and nodded at her.

"Good afternoon, Otto," Samira said, getting something behind the counter. "I see we have a visitor?"

"Ah yes! Samira, this is Alexandria Clemmons, the Omnivox we were telling you about," Otto said, smiling at her before looking back at his work.

"Oh, is it?" Samira said with feigned interest, nodding politely to her.

"Yes, I believe you know my father. Well," Alexandria said so dryly that Samira gazed at her more steadily. "Your new runes specialist, I mean." Samira blinked in surprise, frowning.

"Severus Snape is your father?" she said, but quickly recovered and broke into a crooked smile, walking over to the table and having a seat. "Ah yes, but you have his eyes, I should have guessed!"

"Yes, his eyes, although the rest of me is definitely Craw," Alex said with a smile. "Is my father going to be working today?"

"Oh, he'll be in later, he always sleeps in during the mornings. I like to keep him working hard into the night, you see," she said with smug smile. "But your father has very good stamina for that sort of thing, and definitely one of the best experts in the field that I've ever had."

"Oh yes, he's always been a workaholic," Alex said with a forced smile before pausing to write another squiggly line in one of the margins. "Some of that was mother's doing, of course. She has always been a great inspiration for him."

"Has been, yes, perhaps," Samira said through her plastered smile.

"Of course, there is one little thing that mother has going for her working as a teacher that you won't ever have," Alex said, her smile widening slightly. "Class." Samira's smile thinned abruptly.

"Listen, you pregnant little heifer…" suddenly she stopped short and sat straight up as Severus walked in, staring at the two women sitting at the table with murderous smiles on their faces.

"Hello, Alexandria. What are you doing here?" Severus asked flatly.

"Mum's hired me to help her research the Mallus ring," Alex explained, Samira squinting at the illegible notes. "Mr. Coffers said you're still working on the flute. Are you?"

"Sort of, yes, since we keep running into it with Samira's own research," Severus said. "Do you need my file?" Samira turned and gazed at him.

"Not yet, I was thinking that since you already had that part handled that I'd concentrate learning more about the ring itself," Alex explained. "Although if you have anything you think will help that end of it, I'd appreciate it if you sent that to me if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," Severus nodded, Samira frowning in annoyance.

"Good, I'll be at the forest cabin then," Alex said, getting up. "Otto, can I get some copies? My magic is out."

"Cabin? Why are you at the cabin?" Severus asked.

"Oh, um…sorry, I keep forgetting you're not always up on family news anymore," Alex said, Samira frowning even more. "Being an Omnivox was holding back Janus' language development, so I had to move out. I'll be a weekend parent for the next six or seven years, not to mention a weekend wife," she said with a dry chuckle. "Anyhow…I hope you don't mind, but Ben and Janus are still at your house, that is all right, isn't it?"

"Of course it's all right. Why wouldn't it be?" Severus frowned.

"Well, the house is in your name, Dad…"

"Never mind that. As far as I'm concerned that house belongs to whoever needs it. Besides, it isn't as if that house wasn't going to you in my will already," Severus murmured.

"Really?" Alex said in surprise.

"Well, you've already been caring for the property, after all, and you are first born on top of that…well, Corey has his own house, obviously, but you knew what I meant. Not to mention that fact that you are likely to have other expenses come up with this forced arrangement and I'd rather you two didn't have your hands tied," Severus said. Alex smiled at him.

"Thanks, Father…even if there is a good chance that you're probably going to outlive us, you know…"

"That could be remedied," Severus said in an even softer voice, but Alex shook her head with a smile.

"I married a Muggle, Father," Alex reminded him quietly. "I'm not going to be left behind. Anyhow, I'll be in touch."

"I'll be at the Three Brooms if you need me," Severus offered, and Alex smiled at him, picking up her copies before leaving. Severus watched her go thoughtfully before finally joining Samira.

"And just what was all that whispering bit about at the end?" Samira asked thoughtfully.

"Just a private family matter," Severus shrugged.

"And just why is it you never mentioned to me that your daughter was the local Omnivox? Or is it that you simply wanted to keep me to yourself?" Samira asked. But for some reason as Severus mulled the question over, he couldn't find a simple answer.

"Well, there was that," Severus finally replied. Samira smiled smugly at him before getting out her research.

* * *

Lucky stared at the empty breakfast cart in the Potion Lab glumly before reluctantly taking her seat next to Connie.

"So much for sleeping in," Lucky murmured, and Connie sighed, nodding to her. Nearby, Dirk and Bindy seemed a bit more enthusiastic. All the windows in the room were closed and shut tight, and the entire room was pristine and organized. As the clock on the wall chimed, the door opened and the class gazed curiously at the man who strode out, recognition taking hold almost immediately as Aurelius nodded briskly to them, taking a moment to unwrap a snake that hand been curled around his arm like a bracelet and setting him on his desk before turning to the class.

"My name is Aurelius Snape. I trust you have heard all heard my name by now, and if you haven't, I'm sure we can get you transferred to a Muggle school somewhere," he said, several of the Slytherin students smirking in response. "I graduated with top honors from this school…Slytherin, of course…and I'm a trained Auror as well as a licensed Truth Seeker, so if you're planning to do anything illegal, I suggest you wait until I'm out of the castle. I am filling in for Professor Craw as Potion Master until Professor Snape gets back from his leave. You will address me simply as Professor Aurelius, since as I'm sure you've noticed, we have an abundance of Snapes at this school. Mr. March…" he said with a pause, Gary blinking in surprise, "is wondering how the former head of the Auror department could have been duped into taking over at this position," Aurelius said. Gary slowly slid down in his seat. "The truth of the matter is, I volunteered to fill in for my own personal reasons, and being that I'm nothing but overqualified for the job, I was quickly appointed…and Gary, from now on I'd appreciate it if you'd raise your hand before directing your thoughts at me like that." Several of the students glanced at each other unsurely.

"A few of you are also wondering if Aurors in general have any expertise in Potions, and I assure you, it is definitely a part of the training exams. Investigations often require lab work done, and we have to have decent working knowledge for times we work in the field. There are also alchemists who specialize in investigative lab work that we go to when extensive work needs done off the field as well; we'll have one as a guest speaker later on in the year. But right now, we need to concentrate on bottled protection charms. Why bother, Miss Carr?" he asked, Bindy blinking once when she saw his eyes on her. "Other than the obvious fact that it's in your book, you'll eventually need them for your OWL tests in a couple of years, the formulas are quite extensive, and the fact that I'm your teacher and it's my place to decide and not yours?" Aurelius said. Bindy stared at him. "Well, one of the main reasons is because most people aren't good at every type of charm; everyone has their strong suits…well, not _everyone_ everyone, some people are blatant idiots, but, most people have their strong areas. That said, there's a balance in magic, and therefore if you're particularly strong in one area, you tend to be weak in another…most often the opposite spectrum of whatever it is you're good at, so protection potions can come in handy. Or your magic might be down, if you strain your powers for some reason, you're sick, or pregnant, it might benefit to keep some basics on hand for emergencies. Personally, I like this section because it's very formula heavy, and since I tend to base my tests more on formulas and following directions properly rather than lab results, you'll find this section will give you an adequate workout in those areas." Connie and some of the others groaned softly, while Lucky alone slowly broke out into a smile.

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Gary said at lunch just after they had sat down. "But your brother creeps me out, Lucky."

"Why, do you have a guilty conscience or something, Gary?" Reggie teased him.

"You haven't sat with him yet, you don't know what it's like! He answers people's questions before they even ask them!" Gary protested.

"True, but Professor Craw did that sometimes too," Connie pointed out when Lucky seemed too intent on piling her food on her bread to answer.

"Sometimes. Not all the time. And if anyone even _thinks_ about whispering or writing a note in his class, he's right on top of them, too!" he sighed.

"Then I guess you're going to have to learn to pay attention then for a change," Connie said.

"I like him," Lucky shrugged, sloppily gathering the bread up. "But I'd like him more if he let us have coffee."

"I wonder how long he's going to be here," Brittany asked from the other side of Reggie. "I mean, what with all those rumors in _the Oracle_ and all…"

"Honestly, Brittany, surely you don't listen to that rubbish," Connie snorted.

"I'm afraid ta ask what they're sayin' this time," Lucky snorted.

"Well, I was meaning to ask you about it anyhow, Lucky," Brittany admitted. "Because _the Oracle_ is saying they heard your father himself say that not only did he resign but he and Professor Craw are divorced already."

"He's not my father," Lucky retorted. "And they're not divorced, so let's drop it, huh?"

"Yeah, really, they're stupid," Connie said. "Professor Aurelius wouldn't be here long term, after all, he's too dedicated to his work as an Auror! Anyhow, I just remembered I have to get something from my rooms. See you in class."

"You're going to be late," Gary warned, but Connie paid no attention. Leaving half of the food on her plate untouched, Connie ran up the stairs, and then looking around to make sure nobody was following went straight into the Trophy Room.


	35. Symbolism in Jewelry

Chapter Thirty-Five

Symbolism in Jewelry

On a little side street just around the corner from Diagon Alley, a tall, narrow building housed a small shop that never seemed to be open to the people walking down the street. But Severus strode straight into Maryced's Jewelry, his disguise falling off at the door as he came inside and over to the L-shaped glass counter that housed Mary and Cedric Potter's limited selection.

"Be right with you," Cedric said distractedly, glancing through an eyeglass at a large gemstone encased in a geode, using an acidic potion to carefully eat away at the rock. Satisfied his formula wasn't damaging the gem itself, Cedric looked up. Seeing who it was, he immediately leapt to his feet and went over. " Good afternoon, Profe…Mr. Snape. Wasn't expecting you in here today…sorry, I was just trying to clean up some wulfenite I found on a recent trip abroad. Are you having trouble with your rings as well?"

"Actually, I came in to see if you can check a piece of jewelry for me, and I rather don't feel like going to Myrkinbrek right now," Severus said in a low voice. "What trouble with the rings?"

"The Dragonheart diamonds…I've had couples complaining about them. Does that mean it hasn't happened to yours yet, then?" he asked. Severus gazed at him unsurely for a moment.

"Have they been…losing color?" he asked cautiously.

"I knew there had to be some reason you had your ring off. I had been hoping that considering how long the two of you have had yours that you wouldn't be having the same problem. Can I see it?" Cedric asked.

"Actually, I don't have it on me, but I'll fetch it in a moment. I actually came in to have my Snoop Chain checked," Severus said, taking it off. "Who else has been having trouble with the rings?"

"Well, Sirius for one, and although I haven't seen them yet, Corey and Rose say they're rings are strangely pale as well. Even the samples I've been taking off my main stone don't seem to have the same luster they used to," he said.

"Have any of the others gone completely clear yet?" Severus asked.

"No," Cedric frowned. "Has yours?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, only I thought it was an isolated event," Severus said.

"You mean because the two of you have been at odds?" Cedric ventured carefully.

"Don't believe everything you read in the papers, Cedric," Severus said.

"I don't. I believe Dad, though," Cedric shrugged.

"I'll be right back," Severus said, biting back his irritation.

* * *

By the time Severus turned over the ring and got back to the Three Brooms again, Samira was standing at the door of his room with her arms folded, drumming her fingers impatiently.

"And just what have you been up to all day?" Samira chided him.

"I was having my Snoop Chain checked, actually, although it seems to be working," Severus explained, letting her in. "I don't like these reports _the Oracle_ is getting about things I've supposedly been saying around their 'witnesses.'"

"Even though they're true?" Samira asked amusedly.

"Especially because they're true," Severus murmured, closing the door. "Regardless of what the facts are, the school has enough pressure on it without my severed ties getting in the way."

"Severus," Samira said, frowning as she looked around the room. "Why are all the paintings back to where they were and uncovered?"

"Oh, yes that. Well…I don't need to tell you what happened the other night with the violin thing…" he began.

"Hardly," she said dryly.

"Well, to make the long story short, after consulting an expert on the subject of paintings in general, I was convinced that all my attempts at containing them were going to be futile. In fact, while we were talking, a large painting from downstairs decided to appear on the ceiling just above my bed that had never been in there before," Severus sighed. "The good news, I suppose, is that once these paintings were restored, all except the Unicorn one…which has remained obstinately in the bathroom…have all returned to their original positions in the pub on their own."

"Well, isn't that lovely," Samira said, her eyes flashing angrily towards the paintings accusingly.

"Trust me, I am no happier about it than you are, but there's nothing to be done about it," Severus said.

"You could consider moving," Samira said.

"I have considered it," Severus said in a soft yet serious tone. "But I've decided to stay for now." Samira stared at his fixed gaze, completely aghast.

"What possible reasons could you have for staying?" she said with exasperation. Severus shrugged slightly.

"I'm not sure I can explain all the reasons, but I have quite a number of them. I'm concerned about the school, and I'd rather wait until the rumors die down before I make a move. Not to mention I'd rather finish our research first…"

"That we will be done within a few short weeks," Samira said pouting slightly, slipping her arms around him. "I hope you haven't changed your mind about our trip abroad."

"No, I haven't," Severus murmured. "Although I admit I've had misgivings about it on occasion."

"I'm sure those will leave the moment we get away," she said, coaxingly putting his own arms around her.

"Yes, perhaps, but I have a feeling that I'll be more enthusiastic about the idea if I tend to certain things here first before we get to that point," Severus admitted.

"Certain things?" she repeated in an alluring voice.

"After all, I did promise Alex to help her with her research, and I want to have a chance to see the other children as well and make sure they're all right…"

"Severus, they're adults now," Samira sighed at him. "Adults with children of their own to take care of, I really don't think that's necessary."

"No, I didn't think it was necessary either until recently, but after hearing what Alex has been going through, I'm not so sure of that any longer. In any case, Fortuna isn't an adult, and I'd like to see her again for certain beforehand. If I'm here, I can easily visit her when the school allows the students to come to Hogsmeade," Severus explained quietly. "Perhaps even Jennifer will have a chance to get away…" Samira abruptly stopped her flirtatious kissing and coaxing and stared at him.

"Why would you want to see her for?" Samira asked flatly.

"I only want to make certain she's all right," Severus reassured her. "What I've been hearing from both the children and the papers about her have been troubling and I would feel a lot better if I knew she was adjusting to my absence." Samira sighed unhappily, turning her back to him and folding her arms. "Jennifer may be stubborn, but she doesn't have the strong heart you have to take these kinds of blows. In fact she's quite fragile emotionally, and I simply want to make certain she's handling it or is getting the help she needs to handle it. Come, now, be reasonable, Samira. We'll get a lot farther if I don't have this constant guilt about all of this on my conscience."

"You have no reason to feel guilty, Severus," Samira said quietly. "You have the right to live your own life the way you want it."

"Yes, so you keep telling me," Severus mused. "And yet as much as I want to be with you, things keep jumping in the way of it. I don't think I'm ready, and I won't be ready until I make peace with my decision to leave in the first place." Samira turned back around and gazed at him.

"You did the right thing, Severus," Samira said firmly.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Severus said quietly. "But I won't be able to make up my mind until I've seen them all."

"Very well, but there should be a flip side to that as well, you can hardly make this decision one-sided," Samira said thoughtfully, her voice sounding flirtatious again.

"Why else do you suppose I'm still going with you to Germany?" Severus said quietly, and Samira broke into a smug grin and kissed him passionately.

The portrait of Severus grimaced slightly and shook his head, stepping behind the bar of the painting so he didn't have to witness it. But when she finally left and Severus went to try and coax his surly basilisk out, the portrait grew thoughtful, pondering the possibilities before signaling one of his helpers to stay and stepping back over to the castle.

* * *

The morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Severus knew better than to stay downstairs for long. He grabbed a coffee pot and some scones and headed up, having a quick breakfast before peering back over the edge thoughtfully. Usually some of the staff came early, he thought, standing behind the wooden statue of a dryad at one end of the balcony, wondering who the first would be to show up.

As it turned out, it was Andrew that was first in the door, but before Severus had a chance to even contemplate going down there to speak with him, he noticed that he was holding the door open for a date. Severus frowned, for it was a girl he didn't recognize, and American from the sound of her. Andrew led her over what would surely turn into the faculty table, introduced the girl to Rosmerta and ordered two butterbeers before he began whispering in her ear, most of the time earning a shaking of the head for an answer. Suddenly she turned and gazed at him unsurely for a moment then nodded, and Andrew immediately disappeared. But her amazed expression soon turned to one of surprise and she squealed loudly and jumped up, smacking the air until he reappeared again, taking the hits with a chuckle and apologizing half-heartedly.

Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. Deciding maybe he didn't want to just wait around after all, Severus focused his attention on the door until he was fairly certain the indifference charm was working and stepped out onto the streets of Hogsmeade, wondering where the best place to try and see Lucky was. Frowning at Honeydukes and shaking his head, he turned and went the other direction, double-checking to make sure his coin pouch was on him in case he decided to pick her something up.

It was as he was wandering over to the Sports Shop that he happened to look down the street and see Aurelius coming out of Corey's shop, apparently with a date of his own. Even from a distance, Severus could tell she was stunningly beautiful; slender and poised, and yet she walked in a manner that would tempt most men to follow just to watch her move. Her hair was a dark vibrant auburn very much like Jennifer's but piled like a pillow on her head, both soft and yet refined at the same time, and a pair of small sunglasses rested upon her nose, giving an exquisitely timeless look to her youngish features. Was this then the girl then that would finally tempt Aurelius away from Pali? _If he weren't tempted, he'd be a fool, _Severus thought to himself.

His curiosity got the better of him and he slowly picked up the pace, wanting to get a better look at her. In a different life and a few years younger, he wouldn't have minded going after her himself, Severus mused, watching as they went into Honeydukes. _Well, it's hardly as if you're attached to Samira, is it? _He shook his head at the thought as he crossed the street, wondering what in blazes had gotten into him for even thinking something like that. Especially someone walking with his own son on top of it, shaking his head at himself again as he walked over to the corner of the building and peered in the window so he could get a better look at her face.

It was at that point that his jaw hit the street, so staggered by the realization that it was Jennifer standing there by the counter talking to the clerk that had it not been for hearing the horn of the bus behind him and the sound of students trying to get out of it, he might not have been able to unglue his feet and scramble back out of view. The crisp late January wind was having no affect at all against his skin as he hugged the wall in front of them as the two exited.

"Well, so much for that, I told you we should have come sooner," Aurelius complained as they came out. They're all going to be packed now."

"Let's at least try to beat the crowd to the Sports Shop, Rel," Jennifer said. "You know I can't be here all day, and I did promise Rosmerta I'd stop in. She's been bugging me ever since that first board meeting."

"You still haven't told me what you plan to do about the next board meeting," Aurelius pointed out.

"That's my job to worry about," Jennifer sighed. "I'm sure between the secretary and myself we'll come up with something before then."

"I still think you should rely on us instead," Aurelius said, and then paused, glancing around thoughtfully. Severus slipped over to the other building so he wouldn't be seen.

"I rely on you for other things," Jennifer assured him.

"I keep getting the feeling we're being spied on, by the way," Aurelius said, tapping his necklace pointedly.

"Rel, the place is crawling with students now, is it really that surprising?" Jennifer chuckled.

"Fine, but don't talk about anything sensitive," Aurelius insisted as the two of them walked further down the street, Severus risking another peek around the corner to find himself mesmerized by Jennifer's walk again. He decided that perhaps her dress had something to do with it, and how it was tailored at the hips... blinking in surprise, he pulled himself out of it, focusing on his room in the Three Brooms before stepping inside the quickly filling pub and scampering back up the stairs.

"Now who's the fool," Severus murmured to himself softly, glancing around the room a moment before striding over to his packed wardrobe and searching for his Invisibility Cloak. About the time he finally tracked it down, he heard Rasputin hiss.

"I smell third boy. Can I go home now?" he asked.

"Stay up here and keep out of sight," Severus hissed, donning the cloak and stepping out on the balcony, staying as far away from the passing serving girls as possible as he peered over the edge. Despite his warnings, Rasputin had pushed his way out of the room, plopping down unceremoniously just outside of the door and watching the crowds as best he could from there. Severus was instead intent on the entrance, watching as students and staff alike pushed their way inside until finally the door opened and Rasputin hissed again.

"I smell second boy."

"I thought I told you to stay in the room," Severus hissed back. Several of the students on the balcony looked around nervously, wondering what the noise was. Seeing one of the balcony tables was empty, Severus pulled the chairs out of view so no one could sit there and hurried back over just as Aurelius and Jennifer stepped into the busy room.

As he watched them walk over to the bar, Aurelius' eyes darted around the room and then finally up to the balcony, seeing the door on the far end was wide open. He squinted at the chairless table, but then looked back down as Rosmerta called out Jennifer's name. Severus frowned; it was getting too noisy to hear individual voices well.

"Why, Jennifer! I barely recognized you!" Rosmerta said in amazement. "You look absolutely fantastic! A true Headmaster in your own right!"

"Thank you, Rosmerta, but you know I'm just filling in," Jennifer protested.

"Well, filling in or not, I'm still getting your first drink," Rosmerta insisted. Andrew, his date, Danny and Taylor all scooted down to make room for Jennifer and Aurelius. "What will it be? Coffee? Snitch in the Mud?"

"Coffee," Aurelius said.

"Actually, can I just get a glass of Black Anise wine?" Jennifer asked. Rosmerta blinked at her. So did everyone at the table.

"All right, although I have been running low of that lately for some strange reason," Rosmerta hinted, glancing upstairs before she left again.

"He's watching us, by the way," Aurelius murmured softly to Jennifer. Jennifer glanced at him thoughtfully. "Don't look over, but I think he's on the balcony."

"Oh," Jennifer said, feeling both a heavy pit in her stomach and a flush in her cheeks at the same time. "I'm sure he's just curious to see how everyone is doing, just ignore him," she advised. "I don't care if he watches us." Aurelius nodded thoughtfully to her before getting into a conversation with Andrew's date, Tracey. Being in the legal field, Andrew was quickly and ruefully finding that the girl and his brother seemed to have more in common.

But they paused a moment as their drinks arrived, and Jennifer gratefully took hers, taking a thoughtful sip, covering it with her hand between drinks as she listened to them. Upstairs, Severus stared in disbelief at her choice in drink, wondering why she had ordered it knowing she wasn't likely to drink much of it. He then found himself staring at the hand across the glass and realized she was still wearing her wedding ring.

_Of course she's wearing it. Everyone is supposed to think we're still married,_ he thought angrily to himself, feeling depression setting in. But despite thoughts of going back inside, part of him didn't want to leave, and the part of him that wanted to stand for hours and watch her won out. It wasn't long before she seemed to lose interest in the topic, her other hand coming up to her neck and for a moment she sat still and with her eyes closed before finally opening again with a deep sigh, taking a much larger sip of wine that time. Her eyes in the split instant he saw them over her glasses were sad and haunted, reminding him very much of the day she had lost Keki. But then her head lifted, and the look seemed to disappear, replaced by a thoughtful, unreadable expression.

Suddenly Jennifer turned and looked towards the door, immediately pushing her spectacles all the way up onto her face as she stood up, a strange, very unfamiliar smile on her face as she did so. Unable to handle not knowing what was going on any longer, Severus waited until no one was on the stairs and then slid down them, stepping underneath them to listen as Abraxus and Regina Coventry walked over to Jennifer.

"Ah, here she is! The woman of the hour!" Abraxus said with a smile, accepting Jennifer's hand.

"Or the century, depending on which periodical one reads," Regina said with a papery smile she reserved just for Jennifer.

"I know, rather annoying, isn't it?" Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile that Severus had never seen before. "And the worst part about the whole media thing is that the more you try not to get in the paper, the more it happens. Of course the opposite is true too; the harder you try to get in the paper, the less interested they are." Regina's eyes narrowed slightly. "I am glad to see you both. I knew you decided to take the children this weekend, of course."

"Yes, I let them run along to buy out Honeydukes," Abraxus chuckled.

"Something the matter, Professor Andrew?" Regina asked almost politely when she saw Andrew still sitting behind them shaking his head.

"Nothing, Regina, except for the fact that the only reason those boys felt 'homesick' this weekend was the fact that they didn't want to sit detention with me after what they did to my classroom," Andrew said.

"Now, Andrew," Jennifer said with a gentle warning smile. "On the contrary, I think the boys spending time with their parents is probably a very good idea. They can spend a bit of quality time together."

"What those boys need is some quality time with a paddle," Andrew said evenly, Jennifer turning and pulling down her spectacles a moment.

"Andrew, why don't you show your date Keki's Grove? I'm sure she'd love to see it," Jennifer suggested.

"I would actually, I've heard a great deal about that place," Tracey said, getting up.

"Yes, it's pretty in the spring especially, isn't it, Professor Andrew? The Professor has a reputation for picking flowers. You do know he's a loyal member of the flower-of-the-month club, correct?" Regina said.

"Professor Andrew," Jennifer said firmly. Andrew clamped his jaw at her warning, despite the fact his eyes betrayed his pure hatred for the woman. Tracey smiled unsurely at them as she walked Andrew to the door and Jennifer fixed her gaze back on Regina. "You may want to be more careful on whom exactly it is you might offend, Regina. Tracey Smith is one of Lunette Vallid's undersecretaries. That might come back to haunt you."

"I'm sure she knows perfectly well that wasn't aimed at her, Professor Craw. And I hardly think it inappropriate considering his own comments to me about my sons were out of line," Regina said.

"I do agree with you there, Mrs. Coventry," Jennifer nodded. "You're quite right that it's not his place to say how to discipline your children, but don't take his comments too much to heart. I believe all he was actually trying to say was that any discipline is better than none at all. By the way, I sent the list of damages straight to your office, Abraxus, whenever you care to look at it will be fine, only don't forget I have to report any losses to the board meeting in a few days too. But if you can get that check to me, I'll see if I can't squeeze that debt off there before Erik sees it," Jennifer said with a reassuring smile.

"Oh, um…yes, of course, I'll have that taken care of right away, Professor, thank you," Abraxus said with a smile. "Well! We'd best go Regina, I'm sure the children will be waiting for us outside."

"You're not really going to pay them off, are you? How do we know the damages to his desk and floor are even legitimate?" Regina protested, but Abraxus simply murmured to her calmly as he led her out.

"I just had a horrible thought," Aurelius said, Jennifer looking back at him quizzically. "In another twenty or thirty years, we're going to have _two_ Plumeria Plums in this country!"

"That is a scary thought," Jennifer chuckled softly. "I suppose I should check on Lucky before I head home for the day," she decided. Suddenly she heard a hiss, looking up in surprise to see an unmistakable one-eyed basilisk lying under a chairless table.

"Don't leave me. I want to go home too," the basilisk hissed.

"Look, Mum," Aurelius said, glancing up.

"I see him. Is he hissing at us?" Jennifer asked.

"What's wrong, Rasputin?" Aurelius hissed.

"I want to go home. I miss Lady Witch. I don't like the other one. She is not a lady. Can I go home? I want to go home." Rasputin hissed. It was such a long series of hisses that the other students sitting up on the balcony stood up and backed away from him.

"He wants to go home, Mum. He said he misses you," Aurelius said quietly.

"Really?" Jennifer said in surprise, staring at Rasputin.

"I want to go home," he hissed again.

"Fine then! Go, you ungrateful lizard! Never mind how many years I've taken care of you or how many times I've saved your life from one calamity or another!" Severus hissed angrily. Jennifer heard the second hiss, a chill going through her, but she wasn't exactly sure where it came from.

"Just like Lady Witch did for you," Rasputin hissed back at him. "You didn't stay either. But I am going home."

"Come on, Rasputin, I'll take you home," Aurelius hissed. Rasputin immediately scurried to the stairs, unworried about the gasps and occasional screeches as he half walked, half slid down the stairs, passing right by Aurelius and not stopping until he got to Jennifer's feet.

"Oh, Rasputin!" Jennifer said, kneeling down only to find the basilisk's head on her lap.

"Well, it seems Rasputin has some sense at least," Aurelius said. "Come on, you old lizard, I have mice waiting in the Potion Lab." Despite the fact he said it in English, it was obvious that Rasputin understood every word of it. Jennifer stood up with a smile, while Severus watched more forlornly from the stairs, pausing his ascent only a moment when he noticed Jennifer adjusting her memory necklace before braving the streets of Hogsmeade.


	36. Lizards and Snakes

_A/N Yeh, I know calling Jennifer a Headmaster rather than Headmistress is pretty modernized; I thought about that beforehand and decided to go with Headmaster for consistency with the first time I had to make this decision...for Caprica Dusthorn. Sticking with that decision for now. As for the Dragonheart diamonds, the mood indicators are an addition, not a subtraction, and work from long distances. I think the original inspiration is obvious...mood rings...but they sure have become a lot more than that, as you will see, especially in the last chapter of this book. Anyhow, thanks for all the reviews, guys! Have another chapter! JCWriter_

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lizards and Snakes

Andrew walked through the Headmaster's Study and over to the open sitting room door, knocking lightly and peering in.

"Over here," Jennifer said with a smile. She was sitting on the far end of her couch while the four-foot lizard took up the majority of it, resting his head on her lap and demanding her complete attention and sympathy. "Everyone back all right?"

"Yeah, although something interesting happened I thought you might like to know about," Andrew said, sitting down and patting the sullen lizard's side. "Father came out after you and Rel left and asked if he could see Lucky."

"Of course he can. I don't see why he even asked," Jennifer said with exasperation. Andrew nodded with a smile.

"I knew you'd feel that way. Somehow he was able to coax her to the deli for lunch, although Ambrose was a little annoyed when he didn't get invited. Ashley handled it, though," Andrew said.

"How was he?" Jennifer asked, glancing over at him through her spectacles.

"He seemed all right. Lucky was quite rigid, however," Andrew said quietly.

"That's to be expected," Jennifer sighed, scratching the basilisk under the strap of his eye patch getting an appreciative tilt of the head for her efforts. "I swear, I've never seen Rasputin like this. I've seen him get sullen with Severus from time to time, but he's never done this with me before."

"I'm sure he's hardly been neglected, Mum," Andrew assured her.

"No, I think not. It looks like he's gained weight again," Jennifer said. "I've sent Rel to make me some translation potions."

"Has he said anything to Rel?" Andrew asked.

"Only that he wanted to go home and he wanted to be with me," Jennifer said. A smile curled on Andrew's lips.

"You do know what that means, right?" Andrew said, rubbing Rasputin again. "It means that Father still loves you."

"Andrew, you can hardly make an assumption like that based on one homesick lizard," Jennifer said, pushing up her spectacles defensively.

"It's his familiar, Mum. They've been together since Father was a student. You of all people know a familiar becomes a reflection of their owner. Even if he doesn't realize it on a conscious level yet with what he's been going through lately, deep down he still loves you and is trying to find his way home," Andrew said.

"Oh, Andrew, I so want to believe you," Jennifer said with a sigh, hugging Rasputin's neck. "I'm just not sure I can afford to right now."

"That's all right, I'll just keep the faith for both of us then," Andrew smiled. He then heard someone in the study, looking up to see Alex and Aurelius walking in together. "Hullo! What have you been up to?"

"Researching, what else?" Alex said. "Actually, I came to talk to Aurelius, but he invited me up to see Rasputin."

"It isn't like you need an invitation," Jennifer tsked at her. Rasputin hissed.

"Hang on a moment, Rasputin, not everyone can understand you yet," Aurelius said, handing both Jennifer and Andrew a phial off the rack he had brought up. "Give it a minute or so to work."

"Thank you, Aurelius, I do know that already," Jennifer chided him, downing it. "So what did you come to see Aurelius about?" Alex and Aurelius exchanged glances before Aurelius nodded to her.

"Actually, I came to him to talk about Samira," Alex said. "See, I've been using the time in the Artifacts department to spy on her a little."

"Alex!" Jennifer said with obvious disapproval.

"There's something not right about her, Mum. It's almost as if she is _too_ perfect somehow… every move I've seen her make no matter how small seems calculated, literally as well as figuratively…and she's an absolute control freak. She demands the complete and total attention of anyone she comes in contact with and does whatever it takes to get them to bend over backwards for her," Alex said.

"That's odd, that doesn't even sound like Father's type," Andrew said, Alex nodded to him. "She sounds much too assertive. Father likes women with spirit, granted, but manipulative? Father seems to prefer more passive women…er…no offense meant, Mum," he added when he saw the stare she gave him. "Actually, in a way she sounds more like my type," Andrew mused. Aurelius gave him a dirty look.

"She is not a lady," Rasputin hissed. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Who, Rasputin? Do you mean Samira?" Alex asked.

"She is not a lady. She smells like Lady Witch, but she is not. I do not like her. Bird doesn't like her. Why does he like her?" he hissed.

"We have no idea," Aurelius hissed back.

"Other than the fact she's positively gorgeous that is," Alex said. Andrew jabbed her warningly while Jennifer frowned and turned her stare on Alex.

"I wonder what he means by smelling like Mum?" Aurelius mused.

"I have no idea," Alex admitted. "I didn't notice anything having to do with smell."

"Well, you're not a basilisk either," Aurelius said. "I think I want to try and eyeball her and see what I can read off her."

"Wait, she's in the next office from you, and you've never met her before?" Andrew asked.

"It's further down the hall than the Auror office. It's not like I ever went down there," Aurelius shrugged.

"Yes, but you should have bumped into her at some point," Andrew insisted. "I bet she knew you were a Truth Seeker. I bet she was deliberately avoiding you."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Jennifer protested, flailing her hands. "The last thing I want you kids doing is going gung ho on your father's girlfriend! We can't get involved in this; he has to be allowed to make his own decisions! You're jumping to a lot of conclusions here, and I'm not sure a lot of that isn't influenced by just not wanting them together. Please don't do anything rash, you'll just make your father go on the defensive…besides, considering his knowledge in the Defensive Arts, don't you think he can take care of himself?" The three of them glanced at each other before shaking their heads and Rasputin hissed in agreement.

"Stars and constellations, I swear you're as bad as he is," Jennifer sighed, gesturing to the wall where the portrait was shaking head as well. "For once could you please just leave it alone? If there is something wrong here, he must figure that out for himself! I've worked too hard to keep his options open for you to try and close them! Have some respect, for me at least if not for him." Aurelius gazed at them both searchingly before turning back towards her.

"All, right, Mum, we'll leave them alone. But considering that Alex still has work to do in that office, I still want to get a look at her to make certain Alex isn't any danger at least," Aurelius said firmly. Jennifer sighed and nodded.

"Fine, but don't you dare get between her and Severus," Jennifer said firmly. Alex glanced at the portrait thoughtfully before making up her mind.

"All right, Mum, we won't," she said, glancing at Aurelius before they turned and walked out, Andrew following behind.

Jennifer sighed, knowing full well they were up to something more than they were saying, for Aurelius was hiding their thoughts again. Realizing there was little she could do about it, she reluctantly got up and went into the study to get back to work, the Severus portrait silently following behind and sitting in his chair, glad to be back in his own frame. But before he could contemplate a nap, he noticed a change in expression on Jennifer after she opened up one of the letters that had been stacked on the desk. Staring at the note curiously for a moment, Jennifer glanced at her wedding ring thoughtfully.

"I think I'm going to need to run some errands in London tomorrow," she said out loud, the appointment book scratching it out in response.

* * *

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_My brothers keep trying to get me to spy on my friends. So far I've been able to thwart them, but they keep ganging up on me! What's the best way to keep them off my back? Harassed but Holding Out_

_Dear Harassed:_

_Keep your back to the wall and face them. Madame Mirth_

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_I've been having problems in one of my classes with a professor who shall remain nameless giving me the evil eye. Going to the headmaster about it would probably just get me laughed at. What should I do? Getting Nervous_

_Dear Nervous:_

_Wear a Nazar. Madame Mirth_

_Dear Madame Mirth:_

_The entire school keeps constantly pestering me about gossip surrounding my family and I'm sick of being in the center of it any time the paper shows up, no matter how many times I threaten to plaster them. How do I get them to stop bugging me? Had It Up To Here_

_Dear Had:_

_Try a fly swatter. Madame Mirth_

The moment that Lucky sat down at dinner, the table around her immediately got crowded, and not all of them were even Gryffindors.

"_Dios mio_… man you guys ain't gonna give me a single break, are you?" Lucky glowered at them.

"We just want to know how the Headmaster is doing, Lucky," Cindy said quietly.

"Never mind that! I want to know why he wasn't wearing a ring if they're not divorced," Delia said, several of the others giving her a dirty look.

"He did say somethin' about that. He said somethin' about having giving it to Cedric Potter for repairs," Lucky said.

"That was the best he could come up with?" Delia said in disbelief.

"He has no reason to lie to me," Lucky shrugged.

"Did he say anything about when he was coming back?" Reggie asked.

"No, we just talked about my trip to New York, okay? Can I eat now?" Lucky complained.

"All right, let's break it up guys," Madame Brittle said, coming up behind Lucky. "Leave the poor girl alone…back to your tables and try minding your own business for a change. That goes double for you Gryffindors. I imagine if you had your first visit with your father in weeks that you wouldn't want your friends harping on you for details. She deserves some privacy."

"He's not my father," Lucky snapped, Brittle gazing at her thoughtfully.

"What else are you going to call him? Not like he's a professor anymore, at least not right now," Gary pointed out.

"I don't know anymore, just leave me alone," Lucky said, picking at her food.

"All right, that does it. Come on, Lucky. It's obvious nobody is going to leave this alone. Let's go eat in my office so you're not bothered," Brittle said, Lucky reluctantly getting up. "And if the rest of you keep pestering her, you can be sure Professor Weasley will be hearing about it. In fact, I may have a chat with her about it anyway," she mused, before leading Lucky down the hall. Brittle didn't speak again for the entire walk all the way to her office, opening the door with an actual set of keys, the candelabras coming to life as she and Lucky stepped in. "Here we are, let me pull up a table for you," Brittle offered, bringing out her wand and tapping at a folded up table that slid out from its spot and snapped open, a chair soon following. "I prefer eating out here anyhow these days."

"What are you doing here on a weekend night?"

"Slytherin business, what else?" Danny sighed. "I had to talk to Professor Andrew about the sparring tournament next week anyhow," she said, grinning when Lucky groaned audibly at the reminder. "It's not that bad, is it? You used to like it when you first started, and now it's like you fight it every step of the way."

"I don't mind when it's just me an' Andrew, I just don't like doin' it in front of the other kids," Lucky shrugged.

"Especially the boys, is that it?" Brittle asked. Lucky scowled at her, but Brittle simply nodded. "I remember that awkward stage myself. I even tried to quit sparring for a while until Professor Snape, who was Slytherin Housemaster at the time, coaxed me back 'for the good of Slytherin,'" she chuckled at the memory. "I never could turn that man down, at least not after he broke his hand on my father's jaw." Lucky looked up from her plate curiously. "You know, I had always liked Snape, even back when everyone thought he was a terror in the classroom… perhaps not as much as Corey liked him. But my respect for him went up leaps and bounds after that."

"What happened?" Lucky asked.

"Well, I guess it all started sometime before that at the Christmas holiday," Danny explained with a sigh, pouring herself a cup of tea. "See, a couple of classes I had I came in second highest instead of top student, and to a Muggle on top of it, and I knew even before the final test that I wasn't going to be able to fix it. So I took a tainted potion, knowing that they'd have to quarantine me at the school, knowing that however sick I got that it'd at least save me from the countless hexes and curses my father would cast on me when I got home. Of course, I ended up a lot sicker than I thought I was going to get, but near death is still better than dead," Danny shrugged, staring in her cup. "Anyhow, I had been hoping the time I bought would give me a chance to somehow pull a miracle in the last few months. But my father was absolutely furious that I was kept at the school against his wishes no matter how sick I was, and he accused Professor Craw of being responsible for me being kept behind.

"Well, when he showed up at sparring club, I knew it wasn't going to go well…Snape and Craw also knew it was doomed from the start. Professor Snape even tried to switch me out of Craw's ring, but Nelson… my father, that is… wouldn't have anything to do with it. I was so nervous over the whole thing I ended up pulling one of my failsafe spells…one that I had a particular knack with…completely forgetting it was a dark spell until after I heard I was benched. I knew I blew it then…I was half afraid that someone was going to die then and there and it'd have been all my fault for casting that spell…well, so I thought at the time," she added with a wry smile. "The next thing I knew, Professor Snape was whirling around and straight at the bastard. I'll never forget what he said about it either when Minerva asked Snape if he hit him either; 'while I admit that I might have just broke my hand on Mr. Nelson's jaw, I would like to officially deny that I struck anyone who even remotely resembles a parent,'" Danny said with a grin, shaking her head.

"Did he get in a lot of trouble?" Lucky asked.

"Not sure, really," Danny admitted. "Nelson used him hitting me as an excuse to pull me out of school and take me home."

"What?" Lucky said, stunned. "And they just let them?"

"There was nothing they could do," Danny said quietly. "Their hands were tied unless I came forward and told them what was going on, but I was much too scared to."

"Ah, I get it," Lucky said, nodded knowingly. "Don't tell me, he threatened to hurt your mother or your siblings if you didn't cooperate, right?" Danny gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"No, it was just us, him and me," Danny shrugged. "But even though I was saved from that, I was sure he was going to kill me some day. The bad part about just being us though was there were no witnesses, either."

"Yeah, you gotta point," Lucky murmured. "So how'd ya get out of there?"

"Your brother got me out," Danny said. Lucky looked up in surprise, and Danny smiled. "Corey, Doug, and Taylor snuck out of school and rescued me. Nelson forced me to learn how to change into a fox when I was younger and used to use me in his hunts. That way any time he got in over his head financially he could just throw some hunts and get some high wagers out of bank managers and business clients. I managed to get a note out during my daily trip out of the basement to the bathroom, and so they knew when to come and find me. They came in Musketeer costumes…in fact, that's the night that whole Musketeer thing was born. They then made me have a talk with Dumbledore to tell him what was going on. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life…and you know…I'm not sure I would have had the courage even then if it hadn't been for the fact that Professor Snape opened my eyes to the fact that it was wrong for me to be treated like that, and that there were people other than kids my own age that really cared about what happened to me. And then after that, when my Uncle Lucius agreed to take care of me, it put Snape and Craw in an awful, awful position like you couldn't imagine." She shook her head, deciding it was best not to say any more about that.

"You really are lucky to have them as your parents, you know, even if things aren't the way they should be and they're not at their best right now. And considering how much I hate my father, I can understand how someone might be repulsed by the title…not that I know why you hate it, but…I know why I do. Personally, if I were you, I'd probably just stick with Professor for now, since he'll come back eventually."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lucky said evenly. Danny gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"In that case, maybe you should write him for suggestions or some sort of compromise? For some reason, I don't think calling him Severus would go over very well," she said with an amused smile.

"Nah, prob'ly not," Lucky said in agreement, piling the rest of her dinner onto her bread and eating it, while Danny scrunched her nose up in response.

"And don't let the students get to you anymore like that, even though I don't think they meant any harm. I think they probably just miss him too, you know," Danny said, but Lucky shrugged and finished scarfing her sandwich. "Hey, but if they bug you too much and you need somewhere to get away from it for awhile, feel free to come out here and see me. It's pretty quiet, unless I have the Coventry twins in for a conference," she snorted, Lucky grinning in response.

"I might hafta take you up on that some time, the way things are goin'," Lucky admitted.

"Not a problem," Danny said, getting out a large ring full of keys from her drawer. Then she put it down. "You don't need a key to get in, do you?" she asked bluntly.

"Not really," Lucky grinned.

"Then we'll skip that part," Danny said, getting up. "If you see a snake on the door, it means either I'm in a conference or someone's in here," she explained, opening the door so Lucky could plainly see the large carved snake on the door that suddenly veered its head and gazed at the girl. "Otherwise it's safe to come in. If it's important, by all means knock. If you get in here and I'm not here, there will be an owl waiting, and I don't live far away. But, if it's absolute life or death…" she paused, pointing Lucky up on the wall to where a musket gun was hanging, "Use the flare gun. Oh, and if it isn't life or death and you disturb me with that gun? Expect a very unfavorable response," she warned darkly. "Did you get all that?"

"Come in unless there's a snake, if there's a snake, knock; and if it isn't life or death and you use the flare gun, it soon _will_ be a matter of life and death," Lucky said. Madame Brittle grinned.

"Sounds like you got it then," she agreed. Lucky nodded and wandered out, her mind busy trying to figure out how to formulate the question to the Professor as she walked to her dorm room to send him a note.

Down in the library storeroom, Librarian Boulderdash glanced up from his book as a flurry of feathers drifted into the glass case. Curiously he looked in to see whose they were. He grunted in surprise and allowed himself a toothy sneer before returning to his reading.


	37. Scrutinizing Samira

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Scrutinizing Samira

Jennifer sighed and hopped in the bank cart, wondering ruefully if there would even be anything in her personal vault when she got there. She had forgotten to change her vault deposit that first month; she had been reeling too much to think of such details, and Hermione mentioned to her after the fact that perhaps she should get her pay set up to go into her personal vault instead of the Snape one. She did remember signing off on that for Hermione to get it done, Jennifer mused, so she should at least have last's month's pay.

It was a fast trip; her personal vault was one of the higher vaults, the same one she had set up when she had first moved to Britain from France, and it was quite small; not that it had ever needed to be big. So it came to her as a complete shock when the goblin opened the door and the vault was so full of coins that they were stacked to the ceiling, and several galleons rolled out just from having the door open.

"Please someone tell me that Hermione didn't mess up the payroll," Jennifer said, staring at in disbelief. She then backed up to double check the vault number. The goblin finally got curious and peered in casually.

"Time to get a bigger vault," he sneered.

"This isn't my coin! Somewhere someone made a mistake. I'm not sure if it's on our end or your end…"

"Goblins do _not_ make mistakes with figures," the goblin said indignantly. "You, however, are legendary for them. In fact, there was a running joke about the last books you did for the school at my bachelor party last year…" the goblin suddenly coughed and looked the other way when she gave him a freezing look.

"Fine, let's go back up and check the books upstairs," Jennifer sighed, carefully counting out twenty galleons before getting back in the cart, glad for the quick ride to the surface. She tapped her fingers impatiently as she waited in line finally getting up to the counter.

"Oh, it's you again. Didn't you already go to your vault?" the teller asked.

"Yes, but there's something wrong. There's too much money in my vault," Jennifer said. The goblin stared at her.

"I'm sorry, but am I understand you are complaining about there being too much money in your vault?" she asked. Jennifer sighed.

"Can I just see my vault ledger?" Jennifer asked. The goblin woman gazed at her dubiously. "How about just the last ten transactions, then?"

"Hm," the teller said, and then reluctantly went to look it up, while she felt eyes on her back when the others in line realized what was going on.

"I say, couldn't it have waited for a weekday? Everyone knows there's only one teller on the weekends," one of them complained.

"Sorry," Jennifer said sincerely, pushing up her spectacles and wishing she were somewhere else. But finally the teller came back with a sigh, rolling up a thin narrow paper.

"Here you are, Professor, I'm sure you'll find everything in order," the teller said.

"Um, thanks," Jennifer said unsurely, but certainly wasn't going to hold up the line anymore, walking away from the counter. She had no more unrolled it out that she stopped short and sighed, everything immediately making sense when she saw the transfer from the Snape vault, a little surprised when she saw it had been just after Christmas. Smiling softly and shaking her head, Jennifer rolled the paper back up. After all, it was hardly the only mystery she had to unravel that day.

Cedric glanced up and then stood, leaning on the counter and looking at her with a smile.

"Wow, Professor, it looks like being a headmaster has been good for you," Cedric said.

"It's only temporary," Jennifer insisted, walking over. "I'm all right with you looking at my ring for a day or two, Cedric, but I'd really like to buy something to replace it in the meantime. It'd feel quite wrong without it…something modest."

"Let's see what I have then," Cedric said, pulling out a couple trays. "I've had Mary working on some other projects lately, so my selection on rings isn't the greatest at the moment," he admitted. "I went rock hounding in the Alps over the summer and ran into some really nice wulfenite specimens, so I'm working on a few different protection pendants."

"If you're going to do a vampire protection amulet, let me know. Alicia has one but Francis doesn't and sooner or later Sunset Dawn is bound to start causing trouble," Jennifer said, reading the charm labels on each ring.

"What about that wine specialist fellow who I heard moved into Hogsmeade?"

"So far, he's been too busy setting up his business to trouble anyone, but we've been keeping an eye on him," Jennifer reassured him, gazing at a plain gold one thoughtfully. "He's not in Hogsmeade proper anyhow, he's up in the mountains. But anyway, you say that you've been testing Severus' ring?"

"Yes, it seems that his ring is the worst out of all the samples I've had so far of the Dragonheart diamonds. It's almost as if the magic is being sucked right out of them," Cedric said.

"How very strange," Jennifer said, frowning at her ring thoughtfully, slowly working it off. "Also, I'll take this one."

"I can just let you borrow it, Professor."

"Oh, nonsense, business is business. Besides…do you realize just how long it's been since I bought a piece of jewelry for myself?" Jennifer said in such a tone that Cedric knew she was realizing it even as she stated it. He chuckled, accepting the coins with a thank you. "Mind if I stick around while you compare it? I admit I'm rather curious as to what might be happening to them. To be honest, when mine started going, I thought it was for personal reasons."

"Apparently so did Severus," Cedric nodded, casting several spells on it thoughtfully before looking at it through a complicated glass eyepiece that had metal rings with several different lenses that popped in front of it to give it different magnifications. "Hm, well yours is at least as bad as his ring is," he murmured at last, Jennifer leaning over the counter eagerly. "There is a difference though. Yours has a crack in it."

"Crack?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Damaged," Cedric agreed. "It's too small to notice without magnification, really, but it's there. Any guesses when it could have happened?"

"Well it did crack the day Severus destroyed Ciardoth," Jennifer murmured. "But it seemed to repair itself after that. Could this have been left over from that?"

"Surely you've had it cleaned since then? Tassels and Panning would have noticed it."

"Then I have no idea," Jennifer admitted. "Is it repairable?"

"Doubt it, it's not on the surface. Trying to recut it would probably ruin it entirely," Cedric admitted. "You know what fascinates me, though, is how all the different pieces of the diamond all seem to be reacting to something, but they're all in different stages of fading…spreading out like…well a sort of ripple effect…a droplet in the water spreading out and slowly affecting all of them."

"Wait a minute…is there any possibility that crack in mine might have something to do with all this?" Jennifer asked with alarm.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Cedric admitted. "So far out of all the rings I've seen, yours are the farthest gone, and yours is the only one I've seen cracked that way."

"How bizarre!" Jennifer said. "I'll talk to Francis and Alicia about theirs as well. Borrow the ring as long as you like…especially if it does anything to fix them."

"Well, I don't know if that's possible or not, but I'll do what I can, Professor," Cedric sighed. "Thanks, by the way."

"Sure, Cedric," Jennifer smiled.

It was hard not to think about it as she went to the castle. What if her ring was the source of the problem? What did that mean? She paused halfway around the lake and pulled out the chain with the box protecting the Mallus Craw ring in it, staring at it speculatively. Could it possibly have caused it somehow, she wondered? The diamond did seem to fade about the time the Mallus Ring had been set off, after all. And if the Dragonheart pieces were still fading, did that mean it was still affecting it? Jennifer frowned, putting the ring away. More than likely, this was all coincidence, she thought, but then again, what if it wasn't? Deciding it was not worth taking the chance, Jennifer hurried down to the lab to make a few tests of her own.

* * *

Aurelius walked into the Artifacts office with several paper bags in his hands, walking to the far back of the room behind the counter where Alex was sitting near a 'borrowed' desk.

"Lunch," Aurelius said, handing a bag to Otto who thanked him gratefully and set it to the side while he finished what he was working on. Aurelius then walked over to his sister and pulled up a chair. "Here's your pumpkin shake, and here's the vilest sandwich I have ever witnessed in my entire life, and that's after having had lunch with both Andrew and Lucky before. Fried eels, pumpkin butter, bean sprouts and hot mustard should _not_ go together."

"Well, I've craved each one of those in the last twenty-four hours, so I thought I'd just save time and get them all together," Alex said, taking a bite thoughtfully while Aurelius simply grimaced and sat down at the farthest end of the desk.

"Not only are you disgusting, but if your baby comes out with green hair, webbed feet, and breathing fire, you have only yourself to blame," Aurelius said, Alex simply laughing at him as he got out his own food. "So how's the research going?" Alex glanced over at Otto and then over at the nearest wall before leaning over.

"Dead ended over a week ago," Alex murmured. "Every time I think I'm onto something, it ends up continuing in a file Samira's pulled. But even after corresponding to Dad, I feel like something is missing. I'm starting to get the feeling that he doesn't have it either."

"Why am I not surprised? She's hiding something, and not just from us," Aurelius said. "We need to take a peek at what she's got when she's not around."

"Well, wherever she's staying, it's somewhere far from paintings," Alex whispered back.

"Is that really that surprising under the circumstances?" Aurelius snorted. "What's the nearest one?"

"That's just the thing, we didn't even get that far…only over to the next frame," Alex murmured. "She must have something blocking it." Aurelius squinted.

"Samira knows about Alicia?" he asked.

"What else makes sense?" Alex shrugged. Aurelius thought about it than shook his head.

"You know, as rotten as Dad has been lately, I have a hard time believing for a second he'd entrust her with our abilities like that," Aurelius said. Alex looked thoughtful.

"You know…maybe you're right?" Alex said unsurely. "When I first met her, she seemed quite surprised to find out I was his daughter. She knew there was an Omnivox at the Ministry, but not who it was. Still, what with what Alicia told us about him trying to bar the paintings, don't you think she would have questioned it?"

"Not if she thought he was doing it because of you-know-who," Aurelius said, glancing back up at the wall to see a young Doug Brim sitting on a magic carpet in front of a mosque, looking quite bored. "We need to find out for sure. We need to know for certain if there's something intentionally there to thwart Alicia from finding her, or if there's some other reason the paintings aren't working around her." Suddenly Alex grinned.

"I think I got an idea, although I am not completely certain it'll work," Alex said. But before she could get into it, they heard the sound of heels.

The moment she hit the doorway, a looked of intense disgust hit her otherwise lovely features and her hand went to her nose. But Aurelius had already gotten a good look at her, blinking and growing immediately alarmed.

"What in the hell…"

"What is that horrible, horrible, smell?" Samira said, cutting off whatever it was Aurelius was going to say. "It's like that vile scent from the office down the hall!"

"I don't smell anything at all, Samira…well, except for Alex's sandwich," Otto chuckled, thumbing back to the corner where Aurelius quickly stood with a fierce expression on his face.

"Miss Lamya, meet my brother, Aurelius Snape," Alex said cordially. But when Aurelius took a few steps closer, she backed away.

"Oh, ugh! That smell is you!" Samira said. "Stay away from me, you repulsive creature!"

"Look who's talking," Aurelius retorted, while Otto stared between them, completely baffled.

"How your father could spawn anything as disgusting as you boggles the mind! Please, get out of here! Your office is down the hall!" she said, risking a flourishing gesture towards the exit with her off hand but then instantly used it to cover her nose again. "Get out, and don't come in here again!"

"Fine, I'll leave," Aurelius said, Alex gazing at him questioningly. "Come on, Alex, bag your lunch and let's go find a table in the cafeteria or something."

"You might want to take a shower before coming back in here," Samira advised Alex, backing as far away from them as she could get as they left.

"Well, that was very illuminating, wasn't it?" Aurelius murmured as they walked down the hall.

"I don't know! What did you see, and what was that whole smell thing about?" Alex asked. "Did you read anything about her?"

"I got only a glimpse, but what I did see scares the hell out of me," Aurelius murmured, hurrying her to the door lift.

"Why? What did you get?" Alex asked. Aurelius waited until they had entered the small lunchroom and found a secluded table.

"You know how with like animagi and stuff we get a sense of who a person is because they're not true to their nature and all that?" Aurelius murmured.

"Right. Why, is she in disguise?" Alex asked curiously.

"No…no, not exactly, although I think she is changing her appearance to look more human," he whispered. "I'm pretty sure she's only part human."

"What? What else is she?" Alex hissed.

"Not sure yet. Perhaps a Veela or something," Aurelius said. "Although I think Grandfather would have mentioned it if she were. But that's not the scary part," Aurelius said, Alex leaning over intently. "For a split second, when I saw her face for the first time, I thought she was Mum."

"What?" Alex said in horror, loud enough to attract way too much attention for Aurelius' liking. Aurelius pulled her back in her seat. "This has something to do with why Dad's attracted to her, doesn't it?"

"I'm positive it does," Aurelius said, nodding firmly. "I don't know how or why she's doing it or even how she's keeping him from realizing that things aren't right, but what is obvious now is that Father is in serious danger."

"But what can we do? We promised Mum we'd let him figure it out for himself."

"Yes, but she didn't say we couldn't help him figure it out for himself," Aurelius murmured. "I suppose I could always walk in somewhere I know they're both going to be since she seems to think I stink for some reason."

"Well, you do," Alex said mischievously, Aurelius giving her a dirty look at trying to make light of it. "I don't know, Rel. If she is part Veela or siren or something like that, maybe she's allergic to virgins," she joked. Aurelius thought about it for a moment, and then snapped his fingers.

"Not virgins. Unicorns!" Aurelius said. "Unicorns can't stand creatures of that nature! Don't you remember, Fleur has always gone out of her way to avoid Keki's Grove, because Unicorns hate Veela and harpies."

"Harpy, now there's an idea…"

"No, that's not quite right either…don't forget, a classic harpy does have a scent that they can't completely cover up. They rely on charms alone to entice humans to do their bidding," Aurelius pointed out. "And they don't disguise their nature like Veelas do."

"But I've never heard Fleur say anything about you smelling…or any of us, for that matter, considering we were still all riders when we met her," Alex said. "Even as polite as she is, considering how Samira reacted, I'm sure it should have at least crossed her face, but there was none of that."

"Well, at least this Achilles Heal of Samira's gives us an easy course of action as far as Father is concerned," Aurelius said. "All we need to do is suggest he take her to Keki's Grove. If she gets anywhere near the place, it'll be obvious that something is up, because considering her reaction, I doubt the Grove will let her get anywhere near it."

"Brilliant! But how do we bring it up, or at least get him thinking about taking her?" Alex said.

"I don't know, but if I were you, I'd find out whatever it is you're missing as soon as possible," Aurelius murmured. "She already knows the paintings are against her, but once she realizes we're working against her as well, she is bound to change her tactics. Do it now while she still sees us as a nuisance and not a threat, because once we hit that point, things are going to get nasty."

"And I have an idea just how to do it," Alex said with a smile.

* * *

Even before her encounter with Aurelius, Samira had already been in a foul mood. For although Severus was very intent with the work and responded to her random flirtations, she knew that when she wasn't around his mind wasn't on her anymore. Instead, it was on the paper…gleaning every tidbit about the school that he could, even subscribing to _the Oracle_ just to keep up with the latest rumors about not only their marriage but any other mentions of any of the family. He soaked in every letter that Alex, Alicia, and Lucky sent, trying to glean out what they weren't saying as well as what they were saying.

Out of his six children, his thoughts lingered most on Lucky; especially after the note he had gotten from her about what to call him. It had weighed heavy on him ever since he had gotten it; he had been so used to her calling him Professor that he had thought nothing of it, and realized after his lunch with her that she had intentionally avoided calling him anything at all during the time they had spent together. He had replied that same night with; _I suppose just simply calling me Dad would be out of the question?_ To which she had replied; _I'll think about it. _He hadn't heard from her since.

"Well! I believe we've done about all we can here, at least for now," Samira said, glancing at her report. "I can't wait to finally get away from here so we can have some quality time together," she added with an enigmatic smile.

"Yes," Severus said thoughtfully. "I don't suppose we could delay our trip a couple of weeks?"

"Delay it?" Samira said, not liking the sound of that at all, despite the fact he took her hand.

"Fortuna's birthday is coming up, and since it falls on a weekend this year, I would like to take her out for the day. She is not taking the divorce well and I simply want a chance to talk to her again away from the school and make sure she understands that it had nothing to do with her and I am no less her father," Severus said, Samira pouting disappointedly. "Allow me this one last delay, and I promise you that you will have my complete and undivided attention on the trip." Samira gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment before a crooked smile began to appear.

"Might I request one small condition?" she asked, a mischievous lilt in her voice.

"Such as?" Severus asked.

"Perhaps we can spend the first few days of the trip at this little resort I've heard of in that area…with a very renowned reputation for discretion," she said with a wicked smile.

"You mean Villahexa then," Severus said slowly, Samira pursing her lips again. "We've been."

"Oh, no, please tell me that's not going to put you off," Samira said with exasperation. "I can understand how living under the shadow of the castle might be putting you off here, but you're going to have to let go sometime, Severus, it's over! And I did try to come up with someplace you might feel comfortable without risking anyone knowing that we might have taken off together for something other than business. I guarantee you that you won't regret it," she added in a murmur.

"Deal," Severus said after a moment, her smile widening and turning quite smug. "But in your name, if you don't mind, and avoid room eight."

"Don't worry, Severus, I'll make sure everything is perfect," Samira purred. "I just hope they don't look at me funny when I request they move all the paintings out of the room," she added with amusement, Severus smirking in response.

* * *

"Where are we?"

"I don't know, it's too dark."

"Well then climb out and cast a wisplight, silly!"

The light illuminated Alicia's face and she looked into a room packed with bags and boxes with larger items pushed against the wall. The air seemed a bit stale, so Alicia murmured another spell to freshen it.

"I seem to be in a vault of some sort," Alicia said, raising her light.

"She keeps her folder in a vault?" Alex said dubiously. "Here give me a hand, please!"

Alicia pulled Alex out as well and they stood there looking at it.

"This doesn't look like a Gringotts vault, at least," Alicia said.

"No, it's a Ministry vault," Alex said, pulling out a lantern from her pocket and carefully lighting it. "In fact, we're probably in the Artifacts vault, so be careful and don't touch anything."

"That's going to be a problem then, Alex," Alicia sighed, glancing around. "Because I seriously think that if she's stashed it in here for some reason, she wouldn't have it just left it on top of a box or anything, she'd have hidden it somewhere."

"Well, what about that painting we just came out of? Maybe we should check the spy network and see if they noticed anything?" Alex suggested.

"They didn't know it was in here, remember?" Alicia said.

"Yes, but they may have noticed her hanging around somewhere in particular in here," Alex said. "Who's on duty at the moment?"

"This late at night, it's probably the rogue painting himself," Alicia said, taking something out of her pocket. "Get the professor, we're in the Artifacts vault," she said, putting it away again. "Watch for him, Alex, and I'll have a look around." As Alicia carefully picked her way around the vault, Alex boredly watched the painting until the portrait of Snape came into the painting and made a hand signal.

"The sketch I did of the folder led us here," Alex explained, the portrait squinting then making another set of hand gestures. "I don't know, it doesn't make sense to me either, but wherever she is staying, she's not taking it with her. She's been telling everyone she's been staying with a Ministry family, but if so I can't find out who."

"I think it's highly unlikely," Alicia said, still walking around, and Snape nodded in agreement.

"We were wondering if any of your spies happened to notice her hanging around any particular area in here," Alex said. "It might give us a clue to where she's stashing it." The portrait held up a finger and stepped out for a moment, coming back in with a young Corey, making a gesture to him.

"Over there, in the far corner beyond those boxes," the Corey painting said. "I couldn't tell what she was doing. There aren't any paintings over there, but since she's been onto us, she's been a lot more cautious about where we are."

"Well from what the professor has told us, that's helped us a lot more than hurt us," Alex said, Snape nodding in agreement.

"I think I found it, there's a little cabinet here. It has a basic nonmagical lock on it…ugh…one second, I'm fizzling at the moment," Alicia said.

"Don't you have that acid stuff that eats through locks?"

"Then she'd know we were here," Alicia pointed out.

"Oh, right, probably a bad idea then," Alex agreed.

"Wait, I've got it!" Alicia said, pulling out the folder. "I think this is it."

"Bring it over here, let me see," Alex said.

"What's in it? What is she trying to hide?" Corey asked with interest. The portrait of Snape poked him in the side, and then made a shooing movement when Corey looked up at him. "Well, that's gratitude for ya. Well, you better tell me about it later!" Corey grumbled, only earning a scowl and another shoo before he finally sulked out of the painting. Snape then moved around a bit until he could see what they were looking at over their shoulders.

"Well?" Alicia asked after Alex had been thumbing through it long enough to make her nervous.

"Most of this is stuff on that stringed instrument she was looking for, although it really doesn't seem to be anything spectacular," Alex shrugged, flipping through them. But then she paused, taking a look at an old loose piece of parchment stuffed inside. "Wait a minute! This doesn't make sense!"

"What?" Alicia said impatiently.

"It's a statement by one of the old ministers of Artifacts, who apparently had researched this very instrument over a hundred years ago," Alex said. "But he said he since found evidence it was destroyed and closed the file on it."

"That doesn't make sense, unless for some reason she doesn't believe him," Alicia said.

"Then why hide it?" Alex said, still staring at it. "Don't you see? It's in here because she was trying to keep father and us from finding out about it. The hurdy gurdy isn't what she's after! She's looking for the flute! The hurdy was simply a good excuse since it was on the same Minnesinger that the flute was on, so she could look for it without looking like she was looking for it!"

"But why go to all that trouble?" Alicia asked.

"Because she wants that flute for herself, of course. She doesn't want us to find it first…the flute and the ring…it's all tied together, you know that. Don't you see? She's intentionally trying to make sure that those who have the ring…namely the Craw family…don't get the flute as well, and she's using Dad to help her do it," Alex said. "See if you can make a copy of this, Alicia."

"You don't think he's doing this willingly, right?" Alicia said carefully, attempting to get her magic to work.

"Very doubtful," Alex said. "Still, I am starting to wonder if the other stories she's been telling people about being with the International Council and all that really pan out or not. I think it's time we get a background check done on that witch." Just then there was the sound of two quick high notes. "Caution?" Alex asked, looking over at the painting and watched him gesturing a moment. "He's afraid that if we aren't careful and this all comes out at a bad time, father may be put in even more danger."

"Let him be!" Alicia snorted. "After what he's put us through, let alone Mum, he deserves to get put through the ringer."

"He says he thinks Mum would disagree," Alex sighed. "And that we should go with the original plan of getting Father to see things aren't right so we're not having to work against him. I don't like the idea of trying to work against Father, either…even putting aside…well, relation. The man's brilliant."

"Right now I'd say that was questionable," Alicia snapped. "And besides, there are six of us plus the rogue painting and his team, what chance do they have of finding it first, really?"

"Until we have it in our hands, I wouldn't want to bet on it," Alex said. "Haven't you gotten that thing copied yet? We've been in here for ages."

"Tell me something I don't already know! I can't get the spell to work. I'd have been better just copying out on paper, I guess," Alicia sighed.

"No, we need to get this to Dad somehow so he can see things aren't right, he's not going to believe it if we just tell him," Alex said.

"Well, what other ideas do you have? I guess I could always take this out of the vault and have Francis copy it," Alicia mused.

"Someone might notice it missing," Alex said, shaking her head.

"Oh come on now, it's the middle of the night, and we can be back here in ten minutes. Considering we've been in here almost an hour without anyone noticing, I doubt it's going to matter, don't you?" Alicia asked.

Just then, the door of the vault swung open and the two girls whirled around to see a figure in the doorway with his wand out. As he stepped out of the backlight of the room behind him, the two women groaned, realizing just how much trouble they were going to be in.


	38. Misgivings

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Misgivings

Right at the crack of dawn, Francis and Ben arrived at the Ministry and hurried straight into Thomas Craw's office after receiving the matching notes stating:

_Holding your wife hostage against her will. If you do not appear within my office before breakfast to retrieve her, I shall be forced to make her sign a statement waiving all rights in naming your unborn child over to me and without veto privileges. Don't tempt me to prove just how serious I am… T. Craw_

In fact, as the two of them arrived in the doorway, Thomas already had pulled out the notebook on Craw family lineage and was reading the most ghastly of name choices off to the two women who sat quite somberly in front of his desk.

"Bah, I thought I told Hastings to take his time," Thomas complained disappointedly, while Alex and Alicia got up in relief and hugged their husbands.

"Actually we would have been here sooner had we not stopped to drop Janus off at Corey's," Francis said. "What on earth have they been doing?"

"Ah, fancy you mentioning that," Thomas said, pulling out a list while both of the girls grimaced. "Unauthorized Entry into a secured Ministry vault…well, perhaps not quite so secure…" Thomas grunted, the two women glancing at each other ruefully. "Twenty-eight counts of attempting to cast a spell within a Ministry vault, three counts of actually succeeding in casting a spell in a Ministry vault," Alicia covered her face. "Breaking and entering in a cabinet stored in a Ministry vault, and Espionage without prior authorization. To which, I agreed to release them from all charges if they agreed to a complete and unconditional surrender. To which, they agreed, but don't ask them what the terms were. I put a curse on them so they wouldn't be tempted to tell anyone."

"Did he really?" Ben asked nervously.

"Yep," Alex said somberly, while Thomas had a look of grim satisfaction on his face.

"Well, we'd better be getting back, I've a class to teach in an hour," Francis sighed. "Are they released, sir?"

"No, but you can take them out of my sight for now," Thomas decided and waved them away. The four of them left then, the two men giving their wives sideways glances curiously, but not even Alex seemed much inclined to talk for a while after that. But Thomas pressed his fingertips together where he sat at his desk, contemplating his next move for a moment before adding Alex and Alicia's surrenders to his special family collection, glancing through the others curiously with a frown when he realized he was still missing one.

* * *

Jennifer wandered down the back stairs so intent on the library that she finally noticed something strange with the stairs. She had barely taken a couple steps down them when she suddenly heard the sound of singing and found herself on the second floor landing. She blinked, stared up the stairs and down them again, wondering how exactly she had done that. But it was as she was standing there trying to figure it out that the choir broke into a new song; the most beautiful melody she had ever heard in her life.

Immediately distracted and wishing she could hear the words from where she was, Jennifer wandered off to find out where they were practicing at and found herself soon standing in the doors of the service room just as they finished the song.

"Well done, well done, I noticed you all remembered to use your choir voices this time, that's very important…" Sally said, the choir gazing at her with dubious expressions. But as she turned, she noticed Jennifer standing in the doorway and smiled warmly. "Ah, Professor Craw! Need anything?"

"Oh…no, I just stopped to listen. What was that last tune, Professor Scribe? It's beautiful! I've never heard anything like it before," Jennifer said, the entire choir staring at her with bewildered expressions.

"_Hogwarts Forever_, Headmaster," Sally said with an enigmatic smile, while Jennifer stared at her with amazement. "Care to hear it again?"

"Oh yes, please," Jennifer said eagerly.

"All right everyone, pick your tunes…and choir voices, now, don't forget that, we have an audience, after all," Sally said. The same melody that Jennifer had heard from the stairwell pierced the air with pure, true notes. Even if the words were more than a little corny, the harmony more than made up for it as each student's voice seemed to complement the other right up to the finish. Sally smiled at them approvingly, turning to Jennifer. "How did it sound, Headmaster?"

"Perfect, absolutely perfect," Jennifer said, and Sally beamed at her. "Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Professor," Sally smiled turning back around and ignoring the fact the choir was looking at Professor Craw as if she were quite mad. Jennifer turned around with a smile to see Hermione standing there with some paperwork.

"Sorry, didn't want to bother you, but I'm ready to head out for the evening," Hermione explained.

"Have a good time, then," Jennifer smiled. "Doesn't the choir sound wonderful this year?"

"Oh that, well, I'll have to tell you when they get to the next song, I suppose," Hermione shrugged, Jennifer gazing at her thoughtfully. "Most Deputy Headmasters don't hear that song sound as anything but a mess, you know, although I did hear Minerva say she began to hear the melody after she retired. But generally speaking, and if you're saying what I think you're saying, only Headmasters earn the right to hear it. So if you're hearing it, it means you've got your headmaster powers now."

"Wait a minute, does that mean Severus can't hear it anymore?" Jennifer asked worriedly.

"I have no idea," Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he can, considering Minerva heard it after she left the school, but I wouldn't take any bets on it." Jennifer's face fell, listening to the choir's next song a moment and then shaking her head.

"I hope so. I really hope so," Jennifer murmured. "Because if I just accidentally took that away from him, I really don't want it," she admitted before wandering down the hall.

* * *

Severus tossed and turned for a bit before finally getting comfortable enough to sleep, staring at the window that stayed obstinately closed. For some reason it reminded him of his time in New York in that noisy old room above Kingler's Café, when he was spending most of his time wondering if Jennifer would ever be whole again. And yet now he found he was wondering the same thing about himself. At this point, Obliviation would almost be a blessing, he thought dryly. Perhaps then he would be able to get away from that nagging feeling that he wasn't where he was supposed to be so he could finally feel like he could chose where he wanted to be. Why was it that the more he sought closure to his old life, the less capable he found himself of moving on? Why was it even after weeks of being away from the school, he still felt as if he hadn't gained back one ounce of the control he had lost?

His unconscious mind desperately sought refuge from his uneasy thoughts, but it was inevitable that they would seep further in and invade his dream…a dream that started out almost pleasant. He was in the hot water springs in the caverns beneath Villahexa, although how Jennifer finally managed to talk him down there, he wasn't quite certain. It was, however, definitely Jennifer by his side, but with her hair up like she wore it now and gazing lovingly at him over the top of her rose spectacles. Then he blinked, realizing quite suddenly that was all she was wearing.

"What are we doing here?" Severus heard himself ask.

"Well, it was your idea, you know," Jennifer grinned at him mischievously, putting her arms around him. "When have I ever been able to say no to you?"

"Oh, please, someone spare me from the submissive kitten act," said Samira, as Severus turned in surprise to see her on the other side of him. "Honestly, Severus, haven't you weaned yourself from that thing yet? Why don't you boot her out of here so we can have some real fun," she purred.

"Um…"

"Please don't send me away, Severus," Jennifer murmured, her green eyes turning so haunted and lonely that another surge of guilt went through him. Samira stared at her with open disgust. "I really do just want you be happy, whatever that takes. I will go, I suppose, if that is your wish, but if I have to share you to keep from losing you, I will."

"Share?" Samira said indignantly. "I do not share."

"Actually, I'm rather intrigued by this whole sharing concept, really…" Severus put in.

"Oh, no you don't! I've had enough of the docile dove, and you should have had enough too. Twenty some odd years of that sort of woman would put anyone off," Samira said, while Jennifer just frowned and held tightly onto Severus. "Don't you think it's time to move on and experience something new?"

"I did leave, didn't I, Samira?" Severus said.

"Then what is she still doing here?" Samira demanded.

"Because I love him, Samira," Jennifer said firmly. "And that is a concept you are incapable of understanding, now or ever. You only see him as someone to own, to take advantage of, and to satisfy your lusts on."

"The attraction is hardly one sided, dear girl," Samira tsked at her.

"That may be," Jennifer said quietly. "But it's going to take a lot more than a broken heart to get me out of his mind, Samira, and nothing is going to keep me from loving him no matter how much he hurts me. I'm staying."

"You know, I think the real problem here has to do with the fact that you have me, but she doesn't have anyone else to play with, Severus," Samira said with a thin, wicked smile on her face. "But don't worry, that can be remedied easily enough."

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Severus frowned at her.

"Simply that dear Jennifer probably needs a boyfriend of her own. Someone who appreciates both her defiance as well as her sensitive nature and knows how to excite them…or at least take advantage of them…actually, come to think of it, it might take more than one boyfriend," Samira mused with feigned innocence. "How about dozens of boyfriends? No, no, no, hundreds ought to do it," she decided. But as Severus stared at Samira's smug grin trying to figure out what she was talking about, a multitude of strange dark shadows formed behind them, moving oddly in the flicker of the candlelight.

"Severus?" Jennifer said unsurely, glancing around her. Suddenly she screamed as the shadows closed in and she was ripped away from him, the shadows completely swarming over her as a curious crack of light appeared in the air and she was pulled in.

"Where's Jennifer?" Severus demanded, chilled by her screams as she disappeared.

"Don't worry, Severus, she'll be well taken care of," Samira said with a lilting voice as she closed in on him. "Besides, now that she's out of the way, you're about to get the better end of the deal." Samira kissed him, demanding his full attention, and Severus quickly gave in, almost immediately forgetting what had just occurred, no longer caring about anything but what they were doing. He was completely unaware that somewhere in another part of his head, a part of him was shouting at the top of his lungs, begging him to stop. A battle ensued, a battle that the dream Severus was blissfully unaware of as he finally gave in to Samira's desires, until sanity finally took hold and Severus forced himself awake, sweat pouring off his face from the horror of the nightmare.

"No…no…I'd never do that to her. I'd never leave her in danger like that! What was I thinking?" Severus said out loud, trying to push out the memory of what had happened after that point out of his mind. "It was just a nightmare. If it had been someone else's influence, I'd have sensed it," he murmured, and then felt sick to his stomach that such a dream could have come from him.

He lay down and closed his eyes again, trying to clear his mind, but something kept nagging him, something that wouldn't go away. Whatever else in the dream had been wrong, the fact that Jennifer was being put in danger by what was going on in his life somehow rang true. In fact, he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to her, and whatever it was, he wasn't going to be in a position to stop it.

* * *

When Severus came downstairs the next day to grab his paper and check his post, he stopped short halfway to the bar, for at the far end nearest the door sat Thomas Craw with a cup of coffee he had yet to touch. Instead Thomas had been busy murmuring quietly to Rosmerta, who was leaning over the bar intent on the conversation, matching his quiet voice. Immediately, Rosmerta broke off the conversation and pretended Thomas wasn't even there, ignoring to questioning look on Severus' face when she dropped off his newspaper and post and slipped out of the room to finish getting ready to open.

"I see you're out early today," Severus said quietly.

"If that obnoxiously obvious statement is your attempt in striking up a conversation with me, you are wasting your breath, Snape. I'm not in the mood," Thomas said curtly.

"Then why are you here, if not to talk?" Severus asked.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Snape, at least not anymore. And what I do is none of your business," Thomas said.

"I simply wanted to ask you how Jennifer was doing," Severus said. Thomas slowly turned and stared at him for a moment before taking out his wand, and immediately Severus dropped behind the bar out of sight. Unconcernedly, Thomas put his wand on the bar in front of his coffee.

"Let's get one thing straight right now, Snape," Thomas said, downing enough of the coffee that it would fill back up again. "The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that my grandchildren would suffer from your death. But I swear to you, if there ever came a point that they suffer more by your living, you will die by my hand; I don't care _how_ powerful the world thinks you are. All I see is a pathetic old man who has wasted his entire life from boyhood up until now feeling sorry for himself, and at the expense of everything else. You've brooded over every negative event that's happened to you, even the ones that you and you alone were responsible for, and you've lashed out at every single person that was remotely connected to those events whether or not they truly had anything to do with them. At the same time, you have done nothing but take anything positive going for you completely and repulsively for granted; your job, your friends…what little you have of those; your health, your family, and most of all my daughter. You are sixty-three years old, man, no matter how young you look! Grow up!" Thomas growled, downing the coffee and getting up, grabbing his wand and keeping it in hand. "I'll see you later, Rosmerta. You'll know where I'll be if you need me…especially for something like an eviction notice or something, I could really enjoy that…" Thomas decided.

"Take care, Thomas," Rosmerta said, walking to the door to let him out.

Severus sighed, grabbed his post and paper and went back upstairs, tossing them on the table before tying up his hair and grabbing a coat and his wallet. Descartes let out an inquisitive caw, and Severus went over and opened the lid of his fish barrel.

"I'm just going to Corey's, feel free to stay here," Severus told the bird, who contentedly perched himself on the barrel, apparently glad he didn't have to go anywhere.

Without saying a word to Rosmerta, Severus slipped out of the Three Brooms and strode down the street with his hands in his pockets. But as he got near Corey's, he turned the corner on a whim and strode down a side street. He stopped and stared at the obstinately present brick wall with a long sigh before finally making his way back to Willowby's Wands and Weeds and stepping in. It was early enough that the place was quite empty and, in fact, Corey was busy helping his clerks restock when Severus walked in, gazing at his father's sullen face for a moment before smiling at him.

"Hi, Dad! Need anything?" Corey asked.

"Yes, quite a few things, actually," Severus admitted, handing him a list. Corey stared at him with exasperation.

"You just had to write it down, didn't you," he chuckled, reluctantly reading it as they walked over to the counter, glancing down the list of ingredients and prepared potions thoughtfully. "Not sleeping well, I take it?" Corey said, Severus sighing in response. "And what's with all the headache potions…and heart's ease potions too. Is there really that much stress in rune research as all that?"

"Could I get my potions without the psychoanalysis, if you don't mind?" Severus asked tersely.

"Sorry, Dad," Corey said sincerely, before fishing through the shelves in the back, Severus following behind. "So how are you doing…except for the obvious complaints, that is," he added.

"Fine, thinking of going abroad after Fortuna's birthday," Severus said, glancing at the potion labels distractedly.

"Ah. Not alone either, I bet," Corey said, unsurprised when Severus didn't answer right away.

"Has anyone told you lately how impossibly Gryffindor you still are?" Severus snapped irritably.

"Not since the last time you came in here, no," Corey grinned at him. "But if you're worried about my criticizing it, I'm not going to. Especially considering the stress you're under, it might do you some good to get away without feeling like the entire family's breathing down your neck."

"I don't feel like the entire family is breathing down my neck," Severus said defensively, crossing his arms. "Far from it, considering the only contact I've had with anyone was either incidental or initiated by myself for the most part…with the exception of Thomas, that is," Severus added dryly.

"Well, grandfather deserves a bit of leeway," Corey decided. "He's just being a concerned parent, and nothing you wouldn't do yourself under similar circumstances, whether you want to admit it or not." Severus thought about it.

"Perhaps," Severus admitted.

"As for the rest of us staying away, don't think it wasn't without a bit of sitting on us and twisting an arm now and again," Corey said, pulling a couple of potions off the shelf.

"By whom?" Severus asked.

"Mom, who else?" Corey said, shrugging when Severus gave him a blank stare. "She said the reason all this happened was because you felt like you were out of options and that we needed to give you the freedom to make your own decisions, regardless of how they might affect us. She told us that you had the right to choose your own life, and that she'd hang us up to dry if we got in the way," his grin suddenly turning serious. "She loves you, Dad."

"How is she?" Severus finally got out. Corey shrugged and smiled.

"All right, under the circumstances. She's got the best support group anybody can ask for, between family and Hogwarts, after all," Corey said, Severus nodding slowly at that. "Andrew says she's turning into a smashing Headmaster. She even has the board eating out of her hand, although under some protest of Balmweed and his corner of cronies," he chuckled. "Personally, not so well, I suppose, but that's understandable with what all she's going through." Severus nodded slowly.

"And you're fairly sure she's not over her head in anything else right now?" Severus asked. Corey gazed at him thoughtfully.

"Not that I know of…she has Alex and Alicia looking into that ring business, but I'm sure you knew that. Or is the ring what you meant?" Corey asked.

"I'm not sure what I meant exactly," Severus admitted. "I've just had the feeling that something was wrong with your mother lately."

"Try looking in the mirror, Dad," Corey said, pulling something else off the shelf. But even though that wasn't what Severus had meant, he didn't feel like talking after that.

As they were walking back to the front, Severus heard the bell above the door and glanced up in surprise as Samira walked in, giving him a smug yet questioning smile as she strode in.

"Ah! So this is where you've been hiding this morning," Samira said. "Rosmerta only said that you went 'out.'"

"I was hardly hiding," Severus said, coming back around the counter while Corey was busy looking her over with a curiously deadpan expression. "This is my son, Corey. Corey, Samira Lamya."

"Oh really? Lamia as in Queen of Libya, or lamia as in seductress?" Corey asked with a polite smile. Severus' eyes darted over to his son warningly, while Samira's smile thinned noticeably.

"Lamya with a 'y'," she explained.

"Yes, I'm sure that makes a difference," Corey said with a smile and a nod before turning to his father, ignoring the squinting look he got in return. "I'll just put it on your tab, Dad, I don't want to hold you guys up. You should think about getting a check up with Sagittari, though, considering I'm not supposed to give you a couple of those without a doctor recommendation you know."

"Sagittari's back?" Severus frowned.

"Never left. Andrew says he returned the day before classes in January," Corey explained, Severus gazing at him thoughtfully. "Like I said, you might want to visit. Oh, and Rose told me that the crocuses have bloomed in Keki's Grove, if you're interested. Might do you some good for those nerves to take a walk too."

"Nerves?" Samira inquired, gazing at Severus fixedly.

"Thank you, Corey," Severus said quickly, although there was a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"No problem, Dad," Corey said, then watched them exit, thinking about all the things he would have liked to say to her and hadn't.

"I don't suppose you would like to take a walk?" Severus asked as they left. "You haven't been to Keki's Grove yet, have you?"

"No, what is that?" Samira asked, a bit annoyed when he gently took her hand off his arm and reminded her they were in public.

"A grove of trees at the edge of the Dark Forest," Severus said, Samira grimacing slightly. "It wouldn't be a dull walk, Samira. I could show you the Lia Fal and perhaps we could get away from my room for awhile."

"The Lia Fal?" Samira said with interest, but then glanced over at the tree line. "Oh, but…well, it is quite cold, isn't it, for that sort of thing? And I'd much rather have a drink at the bar or something."

"Since when do you turn down opportunities to be alone with me?" Severus asked in a low voice.

"Well, I need only wait a few more days, mustn't I?" Samira said flirted. "Besides, I'm parched."

"I have never seen anyone drink as much as you do short of a dwarf with a weekend off," Severus said, Samira flipping back her hair enough to put a hand on her hip.

"Have you ever seen me out of my senses with it? Not once, Severus, and don't you dare say you have," she said. "Besides, I think you could use a drink as well, if you're having trouble with your 'nerves' lately," she said, lowering her voice as they walked down the street. "You don't need those nasty potions for that, Severus, I could easily give you a massage or something. I'm very adept at making you forget about all your troubles when you let me," she said flirtatiously, wiggling her fingers out in front of her.

"Yes, so you are," Severus said, but there was a strange abrasion in his voice that she hadn't heard before.

Yet before she could question it, they were stepping back into the Three Brooms, which had opened during Severus' absence. Rosmerta looked up the moment they entered and waved them over.

"A note was dropped off for you while you two were out, Samira," Rosmerta said, getting it from under the counter. "A Ministry note."

"Really? Left here?" Samira said, and Severus cringed at the thought that anyone would have done that, expecting her to be here with him. Samira opened it and her lips thinned more and more. "Sorry, it seems I'm needed elsewhere. I need to take off for awhile," she said.

"Trouble?" Severus asked.

"Trouble for someone at any rate," Samira said with a dangerous flash in her eyes. So, someone decided to break in the Artifacts vault and go through the cabinet did they, she fumed as she strode out the door. Someone was going to have to pay for trying to working against her, and this time she knew exactly how to get even.


	39. The Calling

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Calling

It had begun as a typical Wednesday for Jennifer. After a few cups of coffee, a cheese roll and a handful of butter tablets, she had settled into the Headmaster's Study with the _Daily Prophet,_ glancing at the weather report.

"Looks like it's going to be unseasonably warm this weekend," Jennifer said conversationally to the portrait of Severus, who was sitting in his chair with his book in his hand, although only casually glancing at it. "I wonder if Severus is planning to keep Lucky close at home? If so, they should be in for a nice time. I still haven't had any thoughts of what to get her, though. I don't suppose you have any advice on that?" Severus pondered it a moment, and then shrugged. "Football equipment? That's what I always get her," Jennifer said with exasperation then smiled mischievously. "Or I could get wicked and pick her up a copy of Second Chance's new album. Think she'd ever forgive me?" she asked, and Severus shook his head and gave her a dubious look. "I think I'll get it anyhow," she decided, while the Severus portrait stared at her as if wondering why she ever bothered asking his advice in the first place since she always went against it. "Don't worry, I promise I'll supplement it with something. Oh, hello, Dodger!" she said cheerfully as the old owl flew in and landed on her shoulder, displaying the message.

"Hm, Ministry note. I wonder which faculty member is racking up the fines this week," she chuckled, opening it. But her smile quickly waned, as did the color in her face. "Oh, no," she said after a moment, pushing her hair out of the way as she read it over. "Oh, craters!" she shouted in horror, glancing at her watch once before jumping up, the portrait trying to get her to stop and tell him what was going on, following her into the next room as she grabbed her cloak. "What is it? It's bad news, that's what it is. I think I'm in real trouble this time," Jennifer admitted, before concentrating on the Charms classroom and rushing down the stairs.

When Severus glanced at the paper the next day, he nearly choked on his coffee, putting it down and staring at horror at the article in front of him.

Professor Jennifer Craw Snape Under International Investigation:

Allegations have recently been lodged against Professor Craw for illegal possession of a dark artifact that was allegedly acquired nearly thirty years ago without permits or any notice to the German Tribunal, who has jurisdiction over the area where it was taken. The item has been classified as extremely dangerous by the International Council and is demanding it be handed over immediately, while the Ministry is firmly advocating due process. A private inquiry will be held to further gather information on the accusations.

Severus tossed the paper aside, grabbing _the Oracle_, completely unsurprised by their own headline of: _Headmaster Craw Questioned for Grave Robbing; Concerned Parents Calling for Resignation._ Severus groaned. Why in the world was this coming out now? And how did they find out about it, he wondered. But then, Alex had been in that office nearly every day, he sighed, chatting with Otto Delaney or Minister Coffers himself. Still, even if she had slipped in front of them, would they have truly come forward? He's quite sure Otto wouldn't have. Coffers wouldn't have either, but he was sometimes careless to have slipped at one time and Plumeria Plum…although he definitely wouldn't rule her out completely, she tended to find out information for her own reasons. It was only then he began to wonder about Samira, for he himself had slipped and told her about that incident when he had first started investigating it. But what reason would she have?

Severus reread the articles worriedly until the door opened and he glanced up with a frown when Samira came in, smiling her normal smug smile and stopping for the mead that was waiting for her at the bar (although Severus was beginning to think Rosmerta did that more so she wouldn't have to serve the woman than as a courtesy) and then sauntered over to where he was sitting in the back.

"Well, don't we have a long face today! Is something wrong?" she asked. Watching her reactions carefully, Severus handed her the paper. "Oh, no! How did they find out?" she asked, putting a hand to her head and sitting down beside them.

"I don't know, I've been sitting here wondering the exact same thing," Severus said expressionlessly.

"I wonder if this has to do with the break-in the other day," Samira mused. Severus blinked.

"What break-in?" he asked with a frown.

"That's why I had to go to the Ministry the other morning, someone had broken into the Artifacts office and into the Ministry vault as well. Nothing was taken," she assured him when his expression changed. "But some files were gotten into, that's why they Owled me about it."

"You could have told me it happened," Severus snapped.

"Well, how was I to know anything like this would come about?" Samira protested, as Severus sighed at the paper again.

"They must be onto something. Alex and Jennifer must be close to finding out something on the ring and someone is trying to trip them up. I think I'm going down to the Ministry to talk to Coffers," Severus decided.

"Actually that's a rather good idea, let me help you. I'm rather interested now to see exactly what in those files might have alluded to it, assuming someone hasn't already turned it in as evidence," Samira said, downing her mead.

"I hardly think there's been anything in print about where she got it," Severus said, quickly picking up his post. But as he grabbed his coat and came back down, he noticed a wizard in fine robes and a flat wizard's hat that looked a bit out of place in the pub. Beside him stood Percy Weasley, obviously quite unhappy to be there at all. Rosmerta stopped what she was doing to watch the wizard pass and walk straight over to Severus, giving only a passing nod to Samira.

"You are Severus Snape?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"I am Special Envoy Christin, Swiss branch of the International Council. You have been requested to appear at an inquiry tomorrow at your Ministry to discuss certain details of a trip you took to Germany twenty-nine years ago."

"Really. Request denied," Severus said flatly, Samira gazing at his steady gaze thoughtfully.

"It's a very strong request, Mr. Snape," Christin said. Severus glanced over at Percy who looked openly apologetic before back at Christin again.

"I don't care how strong a request it is. I don't care if you chose to order it or affidavit it if it comes to that. If you think I'm going to testify against my wife for any reason, you are completely out of your mind," Severus said firmly.

"I never said anything about testifying against anyone, Mr. Snape, it is simply an inquiry," Christin said with a strained smile.

"Yes, and I am simply not going," Severus said.

"That ring is dangerous, Mr. Snape," Christin sighed.

"And it is far more dangerous than anyone else's hands than it is in hers, regardless of how she got it," Severus snapped. "Personally, I think you ought to drop the matter, because I guarantee you there will be repercussions if you continue to pursue it."

"Is that a threat?" Christin said with open surprise.

"Oh, not from me, I hardly need to," Severus said. "There is no way that Jennifer or any of the other Craws for that matter, including our Minister of Law Enforcement, will allow that ring in anyone's hands but family. I don't think even your little International collusion here realizes exactly just what they would be in for if the Craws are forced to protect their own. If that happens, you have only yourselves to blame. I will play no part in it."

"Snape, refusing to at least give a statement will surely blacken your record in International circles…"

"My record is already black. One more mark won't make any difference now. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," Severus said. Samira glanced between the two men before following behind him unconcernedly, more than happy to go along and hear Coffers confirm that someone had broken in and supportively help him go through the files, looking for clues.

* * *

Professor Craw Found Liable for Illegal Artifact

An inquiry into the acquisition of the Mallus Craw ring from a German excavation site has ended after the testimony of Mr. Pyther, who admitted to having been there and witnessing the ring's removal from the site. The admission came after an initial refusal to offer testimony; however, due to the pressure from both the inquiry board and the school board, who reminded Pyther what a contempt charge would do to his professional career, he acquiesced at Professor Craw's insistence. Professor Craw has since agreed to take full responsibility for her actions, but has refused any and all demands to hand over the artifact in question.

Jennifer was sitting at her desk that Friday evening after the inquiry with her hands on her temples, trying to fight off the stress and wondering how she was going to get out of this mess, staring at Balmweed's request for her resignation. Only half the board had signed it; and Jennifer knew it would take a unanimous vote to force her out of office. But right now with everything else going on, it was a bit much to take.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard Aurelius slip in the door until he was right to the edge of her desk, the scent of a freshly made potion attracting her attention. She looked up to see him holding a steaming flagon, a serious, concerned expression on his face as he held it out to her.

"Courtesy of your current Potion Master, one good night's sleep, because you really look like you need it," Aurelius said.

"Thank you. What a long two days it's been!" Jennifer sighed, taking the cup.

"The Ministry has stated they will fight any attempts at extraditing the item, you know. They're not going to let them take it anywhere," Aurelius said quietly.

"I know we do have some support on all this, Rel, but all the same, we can't afford this ring getting into any but Craw hands for a single instant," Jennifer sighed.

"Yes, Mum, I know. But we can talk about it more in the morning, drink your potion," Aurelius advised. Jennifer took a sip and her expression immediately changed.

"Why, Aurelius! This is your father's Subtle Slumber recipe!" she said in amazement.

"How else do you think he was able to keep it from you so long?" Rel said, Jennifer suddenly breaking into a smile, shaking her head. "I suppose you know why he never told you what he put in it?"

"He said I was too independent," Jennifer chuckled softly. "I think he probably did it because that way no matter how independent I got I would need him for something."

"Yep, that was it," Aurelius agreed with a sigh, gazing at the portrait who was staring lovingly at Jennifer, deep in thought. "I suppose that independence is paying off now, though, isn't it?" Jennifer sighed, gazing up at the portrait herself.

"Well, if that's so, why do I need him then," she said only half-joking at the Severus portrait, who continued to gaze back at her supportively.

"I don't know, Mum. From what I've seen, he's been an absolutely fantastic secretary," Aurelius admitted. "It's true we all had objections at first, but we were just worried about you getting too attached to a painting and trying to run from your life. We all know better now," he added. Jennifer smiled, but her mind was getting hazy and she put down the potion, standing up.

"Thanks, Aurelius, I'm glad someone has a good word for me these days. I haven't been getting many," Jennifer chuckled softly.

"You've been brilliant, Mum, absolutely brilliant," Aurelius insisted, holding the door for her. "Good night."

"Good night. Don't forget Lucky needs an escort to the gate tomorrow," she yawned.

"I won't," Aurelius nodded, sending her to bed.

* * *

When Aurelius walked Lucky to the gate, their father was already there waiting, an open look of concern on his face, so strong that even with his defenses up, Aurelius could tell what had been going on at the castle had been the forefront of his thoughts lately.

"Good morning. I assume you're ready, Fortuna," Severus said.

"Ya, but I still wish we could go to New York instead of hang out around here," Lucky complained.

"Don't use that word, Fortuna, and things being as they are, I feel much better staying close at hand," Severus said. "Besides, you'll find I'll be more inclined to go into certain shops I wouldn't on a weekend they'd be packed with students," he said, Lucky grinning in response to that. "How is your mother, Aurelius?"

"Holding up as always," Aurelius shrugged. "I heard you didn't go to the inquiry."

"I was not going to be any part of that. Regardless of the circumstances, the ring belongs in Craw hands or destroyed," Severus said. Aurelius nodded thoughtfully.

"He had no choice, you know. Francis, I mean…short of quitting, I suppose, but Mum wouldn't let him."

"Yes, yes, I know. I may not have been there, but I knew from what little they printed what must have happened," Severus said quietly. "Well, we should be off. Take care."

"Have a good day," Aurelius said with a nod, watching as the two stepped further from the gate and Severus took out a key, the two of them disappearing. Aurelius turned and glanced up at the castle thoughtfully for a moment before finally walking back in.

* * *

There were probably a lot of other ways that Jennifer could have spent that morning besides work; she was far from behind in anything. But with Aurelius sticking too close to the castle it was hard to get any lone time in the lab, so she found there was little else to do after spending an hour pampering the familiars. So much of her free time had been dedicated to Severus over the years; just how much hadn't ever occurred to her before. Perhaps she would visit the Willowby grandchildren that afternoon, Jennifer mused, but then thought better of it, since going to Corey's farm raised the likelihood of running into Severus and Lucky quite high. But she could always visit Ben and Janus, and then perhaps drop by to see Fleur and Maurice for an hour or two. Feeling a lot better for having made the decision not to spend the entire day alone, Jennifer dug into the paperwork with more enthusiasm so she would feel more than ready to take off that afternoon.

It had just reached lunchtime as she was finishing looking over and approving the list of schools for the pen pal program that the appointment book decided to open up and scribble something down. For the most part, Jennifer had already learned to ignore it when it did that, but always took a moment to glance at the date on the open page to make sure whatever change was happening wasn't occurring that day. But as she glanced up, she saw it was that day's date and the pen was writing on that very hour, so she watched it carefully as it penned in; _Confrontation with Vice-Chairman Balmweed, Special Envoy Christin of the International Wizards Council, and Ambassador Dietrich of the German Tribunal in the Headmaster's Study._

"Comets and Craters!" Jennifer said, the portrait of Severus blinking away from where he sat dozing with a book in his hand. "Severus, get paintings after Rel and Andrew. Send Andrew straight here and get Rel to go escort visitors…if you can call them that. Balmweed is coming up with Internationals." Severus cringed and nodded. "I notice they didn't bring any Ministry with them. I seriously doubt that's an accident. Well, if they think I'm just going to hand them over that ring, they have another thing coming," Jennifer said, straightening up her desk and appearance and pushing her spectacles all the way up on her face before walking out in front of the desk.

"Leave the doors open, we have other visitors," Jennifer warned when Andrew came up the stairs, the serious expression on her face enough to tell Andrew what to expect as he stepped in to one side. A moment later, Aurelius arrived with the others, wearing the same grim look that his mother was. Jennifer smiled cordially at Norman Balmweed who strode straight in, while the other two men hesitated at the door, staring at the woman in front of them in surprise. "Please, come right in, gentlewizards," Jennifer said, gesturing for them to have a seat, besides making it clear she wasn't about to take one. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I believe you already know the reason, Jennifer," Norman said evenly. "You have been keeping a dark artifact of immense power in this school, one that if abused may likely put the entire student body in danger."

"Oh, the Cauldron?" Jennifer mused. "I do have permits for that, you know, and considering the fact that the security of the Artifacts vault is currently in question, don't you think it's probably better off here?"

"I'm not talking about the Cauldron, Jennifer, and you well know it," Norman said firmly. "It's time you turned over the Mallus Craw ring to its rightful owner."

"The Mallus ring is already with its rightful owner," Jennifer said. "Also, you may want to note that I also paid off all fines and licensing fees last night, so my paperwork is now all in order."

"With the Ministry, perhaps, but in this case it's not the Ministry's place to decide," Norman said firmly. "That decision is made by my friends here."

"Yes," Christin said with a nod. "I believe that Mr. Francis and your testimony over where you found the ring is quite clear. I sent word to the Council last night, which agrees with Ambassador Dietrich's rights to claim it as a find of historical magical significance that was found on German soil, especially considering the history of the town itself. By all rights it belongs to the German people."

"If anyone but a Craw lays a hand on the ring, Christin, they would immediately be cursed and most likely either killed or turned into a mindless being bent on doing Mallus' bidding. The ring is not safe in other hands. If whoever informed you of this ring did their homework, they could have told you that," Jennifer said. "Just who was it who bleated its existence to the Council, Envoy Christin?"

"That is of no consequence. What matters is that it is a ring of significant and dangerous power and does not belong to you!" Christin said.

"It was Samira, Mum," Aurelius said quietly, Christin suddenly staring at Aurelius who had been watching him fixedly.

"Of course, I suppose it's obvious, isn't it?" Jennifer sighed. "Well, no matter what you believe, I fear you are going to have to try to go through Ministry politics to solve it. I'm not giving it up willingly."

"In which case, Jennifer, you would be forcing me to have you fired," Norman said. "Not only for refusing the International Council's wishes in this matter, but also by putting the school in danger having that ring anywhere near it."

"If this ring left a Craw's possession, Norman, the school would be in even more danger," Jennifer snapped. "As would everyone else for that matter! I am not going to be bullied into having that sort of blood on my hands!"

"I am not leaving dis castle wit'out da ring, Professor," Dietrich said firmly. "You had better hand it over."

"Aren't we having enough of an international incident without you turning this into threats?" Jennifer sighed.

"Fine, we will work out the repercussions then, both your original part and our part in retrieving it," Christin said. "But he is right. We are not leaving without that ring," he said, and they took out their wands. Immediately Andrew and Aurelius did the same, pointing it at their heads. "Go ahead, cast on us and see where it gets you."

"I think they'd take our word over yours, or at least mine," Aurelius dared him.

"Drop your wands," Andrew said, "or you are going to find out the hard way just how good the security in this castle is."

"This is your last warning, Jennifer," Norman said evenly. "If you do not hand that ring over immediately, not only will I make sure you lose your position here, but I will stop at nothing to remove every Snape on staff… I don't care how many teachers we have to replace. You've all become nothing but an infection in this school, giving you the power to think you can do as you please regardless of the board's thoughts of the matter. I will not risk the state of this school over this, and if I have to put everyone from Black to Pyther to Snape on suspension from today until this is resolved, I shall."

"Fine," Jennifer said, Aurelius and Andrew looking over at Jennifer unsurely as she pulled out the chain with the box on it and unlocked it, pulling out the ring. "You want to play hard ball? Play all you like. But if you want this ring, you are just going to have to pull it off of my rotting dead corpse, because I'll take this quest on myself before I let it touch any hand but mine," she said, putting the ring on her finger.

The horrified screams from her two sons sounded hollow in her ears, as everything seemed to go black around her, but it was soon replaced by different screams…screams of victims of her ancestor…dozens…perhaps even hundreds of screams, coming up from all around her. Fury came from the man who cast at them…wiping out any who stood in his way…lashing his anger in every direction at those who opposed him, except for one…the one person he couldn't touch…the one person he felt above all his enemies was the true enemy of Craw…and if he couldn't find a way to kill her himself, he would find someone who could…

In a world far, far away from the world of memories she had been pushed into, Aurelius and Andrew had run to her side, only half aware when Rasputin came scurrying out the sitting room door with his eye patch flipped up. They were too busy trying to wake up Jennifer to notice, for she was standing perfectly still with her eyes closed.

"Are you picking anything up?" Andrew asked as Aurelius took off her spectacles and got them out of the way.

"No, for some reason she's just as blocked off," Aurelius said worriedly. "I can't get through to her at all."

"I can't believe you made her do this!" Andrew shouted angrily at the three men, but they were all standing curiously grey and stony. "Um, Rel…"

"Never mind them! Push them in a corner or something, I'm going to try and lay her down," Rel said. "Rasputin, put your eye patch back down before you get us in any deeper!"

"They looked like mice to me," Rasputin hissed, having already fixed his eye patch, deciding to stalk over to the corner Andrew piled them up in a corner to guard them.

Desperately, Aurelius stood in front of her, trying to get something…anything…but she read like an inanimate object.

"I can't do anything, Andrew, I can't get through!" Aurelius said. "What a stupid thing for her to do!"

"It wasn't like they gave her much of a choice!" Andrew said, and then glanced over at the wall, but there was no painting there. "Wait, where has the professor gone?"

"Oh, never mind that! Help me figure out a way to get through to her!" Aurelius snapped.

It was then that Andrew paused and heard soft but persistent singing coming from outside the doors. As he was standing in the doorway listening, he heard the sound of a violin, so hurried over to the returned painting, watching as the portrait of Severus made a conductor's movement with his hand.

"Fortissimo?" Andrew repeated. "Be right back, Rel! I think I know what he's trying to do now!" he said and ran downstairs.

For just after Jennifer fell into the ring, the portrait of Severus quickly realized she was not going to be able to get out of it on her own. The painting then moved on its own down into storeroom of the library where several order members were having lunch and let out a series of notes.

"Emergency?" Pimra said, jumping up, while Connie ran straight over to the painting.

"What is it? What's going on?" Lindsay asked, while Connie was busy studying his hand movements.

"He says that Professor Craw is in danger!" Connie said.

"How do you know what he's saying?" Beth asked with a frown.

"She's been teaching him sign language," Helena explained briskly, while watching the hand movements herself.

"Great Hall, lunch, get everyone there, sing school song?" Connie said, Severus motioning them to hurry.

"Surely you didn't get that right," Laura said.

"Sing school song, that's what it looked liked to me too," Helena agreed.

"Immediately. Now. Stop translating and run!" Connie repeated and dove out of the room with Helena and Pimra following after. Glancing at each other momentarily the others ran and joined them. It was only the straight hallway in the way of her getting to the busy lunch crowd, whistling through her fingers to get everyone's attention.

"Stop what you're doing and sing the school song! Don't ask questions, it's an emergency! Headmaster's orders, now do it!" Connie shouted.

At first, a great many of them just stared at her while the rest of the order poured in and ran over to their tables and coaxed them up so insistently that little by little they joined in until some of the staff came in, looking quite baffled and wondering what was going on. The choir, who was just breaking up after practice, started wandering in and adding their own voices just as Andrew barreled in with his wand in hand and started throwing piles of earmuffs on all the tables.

"Everyone grab one!" he said in an unusually loud voice that made everyone jump. "We're going to be casting the loud spell the room! Hurry!" Andrew said, getting a pair out himself, as Sally and Pomona helped him organize the rest. "All together, and fortissimo!"

As the song burst forth, all the students ended up holding their earmuffs closer to their ears, but responded to Professor Andrew's insistence that they sing louder. Any familiar that flew quickly vacated the area and even the Owlery as the song burst forth, breaking glass and even some windows in several different locations throughout the castle. The sound was so strong that in the Dark Forest many centaurs looked up, and Unicorns paused in their grazing.

It was so loud that Lucky and Severus, walking down the streets of Hogsmeade towards Honeydukes, both stopped in their tracks.

"What is that awful noise? Sounds like New York just after the ball dropped," Lucky complained.

"I believe," Severus began uncertainly, straining to listen. "It sounds like _Hogwarts Forever_. It must be coming from the school," he murmured.

"I didn't know you could hear the school from here," Lucky said.

"No… how very strange…" Severus said, a curious chill going through him as he listened to it. "I wonder what's going on?"

"Apparently they're trying to wake up the whole neighborhood," Lucky chortled.

"Come to think of it, if it reaches here, it's probably reaching a lot of those farms near the castle as well," Severus said, pulling out his watch and opening it. Terror went through him momentarily when he saw that Jennifer's arrow was set on 'Mortal Peril,' but even as he stared at it, the arrow slowly inched back towards the Headmaster's Study.

* * *

She had recognized it at once. It rang out like a flare in the night sky, a sweet melody cutting through the horrors around her like a knife. So these memories…these memories weren't hers, she realized as she pushed past them, trying to ignore their pulsing presence in their head and concentrate on the song. Think of it like going down the stairs, she told herself. If you think only of your destination, you will get their quicker. Destination: the song… the school… Hogwarts. That's right, she was a professor there, she realized. She wasn't a lord of anything. She wasn't even a murderer, although she had killed before, she knew. She never massacred children. She helped them. And now they were calling to her, helping her, leading her back home…

Jennifer slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar face over her, and smiled weakly at her son who then let out a sigh of relief.

"She's coming out of it, professor, let them know it's all right now," Aurelius said, still watching her face searchingly.

Darkness hung over her now. It was unmistakable. But her thoughts were clear to him in that instant, and he saw that at least for the moment she was under control, having pushed all the memories deep back in her mind so she didn't have to relive them again.

"Thanks Rel," Jennifer said, her voice barely audible over the song. But the song finally died; apparently the painting had finally been able to attract someone's attention long enough to stop it. "I wouldn't have made it back on my own."

"Yes, and of all the idiotic stunts to pull, too," Aurelius said, sounding angry now that it was obvious the worst was over. Something tickled her cheek, and she slowly turned her head to see Rasputin there, weakly giving him a little pat.

"I'm sorry," Jennifer murmured. "It seemed like the best solution at the time. No one can take it now, not until the quest is over."

"Do you know what the quest is then now?" Aurelius asked, and Jennifer nodded slowly.

"Yes," Jennifer said softly, slowly getting up and putting on her glasses. But she did not say anything else for a long time as she tried to wrap her head about what she had witnessed.


	40. The Last Lure

_A/N Second Chapter for the day._

Chapter Forty

The Last Lure

When Severus wandered back over to the castle with Lucky just before dinner, he hadn't expect anyone to be waiting for them and was going to simply send her in. So he was more than a bit surprised to see Aurelius walking towards them when they arrived, smiling at Lucky and waving her to go on in before continuing over to the gate.

"What is it?" Severus frowned. "What happened here earlier?" Aurelius gazed at him steadily for a moment, instantly picking up what they had experienced in Hogsmeade.

"Mum put the ring on," Aurelius said evenly, and Severus' jaw dropped in surprise and horror.

"What?"

"Balmweed and a couple of Internationals came in and started threatening to fire the entire lot of us if we didn't hand over the ring. They even pulled wands on us hoping one of us would get jumpy and use it. Fortunately we didn't, although unfortunately, Rasputin did," Aurelius said dryly. "Now they're complaining about us harboring dangerous familiars, of course…"

"Never mind that, how is Jennifer?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, Father," Aurelius admitted somberly. "She fell into the memories and couldn't get back on her own. We were able to use the Hogwarts song to guide her back, kind of like what happened to Dumbledore after his coma."

"It's a good thing someone thought of it," Severus sighed. "Is she all right now?"

"There are definitely curses hanging over her, but she does seem to be in control of herself," Aurelius said. "I don't know, Dad, I don't know how long she can live with this thing. Since she's woken up she's seemed grey, distant, and there's a constant cloud over her. We need to find that flute and destroy it before anything else happens."

"Why, do you know what it does? What the quest is?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Yes, Father, and it's not good, not good at all," Aurelius said shrugged.

"Well, tell me!" Severus snapped. Aurelius sighed.

"I can't yet. You have to figure some of it out for yourself," Aurelius said. "All I can tell you is the quest she's taken is something she can't complete. The only options she has got getting that ring off are destroying the flute or death."

* * *

When the knock came on the door, Severus waved it open without even a single pause from his pacing as he went back and forth across his sitting room floor like a caged lion. Samira peered in and pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment before finally shutting the door behind herself, a folder in her hand.

"Restless today?" she inquired, but simply got a sigh in response. "I have some very good news! While I was helping Coffers go over that cabinet, I found an extremely interesting map, and I think I've found what we've been looking for! I've believe I've discovered the Venusburg Mountain in an old atlas of different magical sites; it's riddled with caverns, you see, which matches both legends of Tannhauser, and when you see its location, you'll see why the there were versions of that legend on either side of the alpine region…goodness, Severus, are you even listening to me?" Samira asked with a sigh.

"I need to find that flute, Samira," Severus said, still pacing the floor. "As quickly as possible. There are lives at stake now, and my own family is in jeopardy. The German Ambassador found out about the Mallus Craw ring and demanded it, and in response, Jennifer put it on."

"What? With all those curses on it? What a very rash thing to do! And, well, forgive me, but rather stupid," Samira added.

"You'll hear no argument from me on that point," Severus snapped. "There's got to be a lead we haven't followed up on yet. I'm sorry, Samira, I know we were planning on leaving today, but I have got to figure out where that thing went and destroy it before that ring destroys her!"

"Well, perhaps if we followed up on this Venusburg lead, perhaps we could find some clues to who might have possibly taken the flute? Considering we know that this was the last place the flute was seen for certain…"

Severus stopped short.

"What are you talking about, Samira?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes, giving him a crooked smile.

"I knew you weren't listening to me when I came in, Severus," she smirked and shook her head. Then she went over to the table, gently trying to unfold the old map. "I found the location where Tannhauser supposedly disappeared into the Otherworld."

"Yes, but…the flute was known to have been in Hamlin after that," Severus said.

"And taken out, and then it disappeared. Only the hurdy gurdy do we know for sure made it this far, we haven't found any proof that the flute was with it," Samira pointed out. "Severus, we've followed every possible paper trail here, and although we've managed to find a bit on the legends surrounding the flute, I've never seen anything that says it's here. Unfortunately for me, it seems the hurdy did make it here," Samira said, pulling out another piece of paper from the folder and handing it to him. "Apparently, it got destroyed. So either way, it appears I'm done. Anyway, if you don't want to go along now, Severus, I quite understand. But I think I am going to Germany in any case not only to turn in my report, but also to see if I can follow up on these. Perhaps I can find something out that can at least point you in the right direction," she mused, sitting down and gazing over the maps thoughtfully.

"I don't think you'll find anything more in Hamlin, it's been checked before," Severus said at last, gazing at the maps over her shoulder with a frown. "These caverns under the mountain are rather extensive."

"More than likely that is how so many rumors of a town being in there got started," Samira agreed. "There probably wasn't, of course. However, considering the legend of the flute being one of summoning, I would say that it is more than likely that there is either a portal at that point, or perhaps simply a weak spot between our universes somewhere in the area that would make such a device more powerful since it wouldn't take so much magic to take one person out of the world into the next."

"That could be easily checked with Ancient Magic, because if there were a weak spot as you suggest, there would be a slight distortion of time," Severus mused.

"Could you teach me how to do that so I can check for it then?" Samira asked, gazing at him intently. Severus frowned and sighed.

"No, I think I had better go with you. Besides, these caverns are much too extensive for you to go in there alone. You might get into trouble. If only my cloak was down being repaired," Severus mused.

"Your what?"

"My Chest Cloak. Thomas Craw ruined mine a while back and I have been having to stuff my pockets with my things," Severus mused. "When do you want to leave?"

"Oh, whenever you're ready. I've already sent my things ahead to where we were planning on staying," Samira said with an enigmatic smile.

"Well, I'm going to go see if I can borrow Corey's cloak. Why don't I meet you there when I'm done?" Severus said, taking the lid off of Descartes' fish barrel.

"Sounds good. I'll let you get ready then," Samira said with a crooked grin, putting away her maps and going over to the door. "We're in room twelve, by the way," she added.

"Fine," Severus said distractedly, trying to put together some personal effects.

It wasn't until several minutes later that he suddenly stopped and thought about that statement. He had been so worried about Jennifer's predicament and so focused on doing what he could to find the flute that he had practically forgotten that one of their original intentions had been to get away from all those nagging obligations and just enjoy each other's company. It was true that he was no less attracted to her than he had ever been, and yet…as much as he had wanted it in the heat of the moment, as much as he had thought about it…all the sudden it didn't seem quite so appealing. Not the way things were. Not with what was going on. The dream came into his mind again, and he wondered very much if he could in good conscience go through with it. Severus sighed and shook his head. No, not now, he told himself firmly, glancing in the mirror. He was not going to make the same mistake that his dream self had and ignore Jennifer's peril for his own selfish pursuits. Considering her willingness to help him search, surely Samira would understand. Severus glanced over what he had gathered on the table one last time before heading out to see Corey.

Corey had already gone home for the evening, and Severus grimaced at the thought of the reception that would await him from the children, probably accompanied by demands to explain why he had missed several of their birthdays and why he hadn't been around. But Severus knew it couldn't be helped and reluctantly knocked on the door, unsurprised when it was Charles the Third who pressed his face up to the glass first and then disappeared without opening it. Severus sighed and knocked again, and then Hope finally answered the door.

"Mum! Dad! Grandfather is at the door!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Goodness, Hope! Just let him in!" Rose said from the kitchen. "Honestly, Corey, did you she have to inherit your lungs?"

"Me?" Corey said, walking backwards out the kitchen door with an innocent look on his face. "Dad, was I ever that loud?"

"Yes," Severus said, and Hope snickered.

"Hope, back to the table. Charles the Third? Where did you go? Back to the table," Corey ordered. Charles emerged with a book in his hand, gazing back at his grandfather hopefully. "Dad? Please?" Corey said taking the book and gesturing to the kitchen.

"Um…actually, I was just stopping in to ask if I could borrow something…"

"Dad," Corey sighed with exasperation. "You know the house rules. Everyone sits at the table at dinner. If you're up, they're all going to keep getting up. If they get up, they don't eat, and if they don't eat, Rose blames me. So come sit down, at least for a cup of tea or something."

"How exactly does my not eating translate into Rose blaming you for it?" Severus sighed, closing the door behind himself.

"Because I'm married, Dad," Corey said bluntly.

"I heard that!" Rose said from the next room, giggles following as reluctantly Severus went in and was given the 'good' seat while Corey got him some tea. Amber, who had finally earned table privileges, decided that staring at her grandfather was more interesting than eating, and Destiny was too busy pushing away everything Rose tried to offer her.

"All right, who let Destiny get in the shortbread again?" Rose said, finally coming to the conclusion that was what must have occurred.

"She gets it herself, Mum. I've seen her do it," Natalie said.

"Then why haven't I ever caught her doing it?" Rose said, frowning between her two eldest daughters suspiciously.

"She's sneaky," Hope offered.

"She is sneaky," Natalie agreed.

"Another one of yours, I think," Rose commented, Corey grinning at her, while Severus simply shook his head at them.

"Did your ring break too, Grandfather?" Hope asked suddenly, Corey and Rose exchanging glances at the question.

"I left my ring with Cedric Potter, yes," Severus said.

"Mum and Dad's broke too," Hope explained.

"Boy, did they. It scared me half to death," Corey admitted with a chuckle.

"I know, Corey, I was so terrified! I was sure something had happened to you when mine shattered!" Rose admitted. Severus stared at her.

"Shattered?"

"Cracked in all directions," Corey nodded. "Happened today around lunchtime. We took ours to Cedric's too since he's been trying to work with them."

"Bad timing for those to go strange, isn't it, considering all the money he's put into them," Rose sighed.

"I'm sure there must be some logical explanation for what's going on with them," Severus said, despite the fact he had no idea what that explanation might be.

"Maybe they just got all used up," Hope said. "All the magic ran out."

"No, silly, Dragonheart diamonds don't run off regular magic, they run off love," Natalie sighed at her.

"Maybe that's what ran out then?" Hope said.

"There's no danger of that around here," Corey chuckled softly, Rose smiling warmly at him in response.

"Did yours run out?" Hope asked her grandfather, gazing at him curiously.

"So, what was it you needed to borrow, Dad?" Corey quickly interrupted, while Rose tapped her plate and told her to eat.

"Your Chest Cloak, if you can spare it. I need to go abroad for a few days and mine needs repairs," Severus said.

"Hm…I need to take some of my Athos stuff out, but sure, I'll lend it to you on one condition," Corey said, Severus raising his eyebrow at that. "That you promise not to put your coin pouch or potion wallet in it, not that I won't make sure the potion slots are filled."

"I wouldn't risk putting a potion wallet in it in any case, but why the coin pouch?" Severus frowned, but Corey simply smiled.

"Those are my conditions, take it or leave it. I have my reasons," Corey said.

"I can't imagine what they could possibly be, but fine," Severus shrugged.

"Good, I'll go work on that then. You should have time for one story, though," Corey ventured mischievously as he got up.

"Story!" Hope, Charles and Amber said at once, and children began scrambling from the table.

"Corey Willowby!" Rose exclaimed with exasperation.

"See? All my fault!" Corey said.

"This time I believe she has a point," Severus said, Corey simply chuckling before heading to their bedroom.

"Feel free to take your time if you like, they can wait," Rose said, getting up picking up Destiny. "I'll be back in a bit." But the moment she was out of sight, Charles the Third pushed a book at him.

"Can't you read yet, Charles?" Severus asked.

"The words are too big," Charles complained.

"Yes, and when they stop being too big we're going to run into a problem," Severus said as he followed him into the living room while Natalie and Hope grinned at each other knowingly.

* * *

Severus knew Samira well enough to search the bar next to the hotel lobby first, unsurprised to see her sitting there with several glass mugs around her.

"There you are, what kept you?" Samira asked, gazing at him as if she hadn't seen him in days.

"I was accosted by my grandchildren, actually," Severus murmured. "But I have the Cloak now, so we should be all set for our little caving expedition whenever you're ready."

"Well, obviously, it's much too late tonight to consider such a thing," Samira said, gazing at him with an alluring smile. "Of course, not too late for other things."

"Perhaps it'd be better if we left as early as possible tomorrow so we can have as much sunlight as possible," Severus said quickly.

"If that's your way of suggesting we turn in early, I wholeheartedly agree," Samira purred.

"Well…yes, rather…" Severus began, wondering how he was going to get out of his current predicament. As he thought it over more and more, he began to be overwhelmed with trying to figure out just how he had gotten in his current predicament in the first place.

"There are other options, of course," Samira murmured slyly, as she led them down a hall. "The reason I picked that particular room was it was closest to the hot springs."

"That I'm not interested in," Severus said flatly.

"What, not even remotely? Not even in the smallest consideration?" she asked with a pout.

"No, not even," Severus said. Samira sighed.

"Oh, very well, but honestly, Severus, you are no fun at all," Samira said as she let them in the room. "In fact, never have I been so attracted to a man that was quite this resistant to my advances."

"Yes, well, I was married when we met, after all, and I was hardly interested at the time," Severus protested.

"And now?" she asked, shutting the door.

"Interested, yes. However, under the circumstances…"

Samira interrupted by putting a finger on his lips.

"No, no, don't tell me. This is the part where you were going suggest that the best thing for us is to get a full night's rest, correct?" Samira said with that smug smile of hers.

"Um…well, yes, as a matter of fact," Severus admitted.

"I agree," Samira said. Severus blinked at her in surprise.

"You do?" Severus repeated cautiously.

"Yes, of course, and of course there are ways of insuring that one does as well, starting with a goodnight kiss," she said, completely ignoring his protesting hands as began to kiss him insistently, even forcefully, knowing that despite his best efforts his arms would eventually fall, aware that although he was still attempting to keep her from pressing in that his forehead was beading with sweat.

Why was he having so much trouble fighting it, he wondered, as his reason and emotions started screaming at one another for control as they never had before. Then again, why was he so quick to deny it? There wasn't anything in their way now; and nothing to stop it but himself. Part of him ached for her; longing to explore and find out what it was that had attracted him to her. And yet part of him hated it; hated what he was doing and what he was willing to sacrifice for it when he knew damn well that love wasn't even in the equation. It hadn't been even a consideration. He didn't want it to be there any more than she did; he only wanted cured of the unexplainable, burning desire he had felt since he first laid eyes on her…cured so he didn't have it on his mind anymore, cured of the intense need he felt when he looked at her, cured of the uncertainty he felt, of the longing for something better than what he had, of the sense that he had thrown his best years away…of the sensation of being at a standstill as the world marched around him, and of watching other lives fade around him knowing that despite all his powers and potions, he couldn't save them all...

Suddenly he stiffened so much that Samira paused in confusion, allowing enough of a break that Severus somehow managed to step back.

"I need to take a walk," Severus said. "I'm sorry, Samira, but I don't feel myself, and I really need to think some things out before we go any farther."

"I don't understand it," Samira said, shaking her head and gazing at him. "There are no paintings…there's nothing in our way at all this time. I know you want me, it's evident in everything you do and everything you have done. What's holding you back? A little sex isn't going to hurt anything, Severus."

"Perhaps not," Severus sighed, throwing on his cloak, "but I suddenly realized that it isn't going to solve anything, either," he said before walking out the door. He decided to turn outside to cool himself off for a minute, and found himself walking by the wooden patio decks of the rooms on the first floor, wondering why his last visit there with Jennifer last summer seemed so very long ago. He was completely unaware that inside the hotel, Samira was seething with unbridled fury.

In fact, she had more than had her fill of him. The taste of vengeance she would have gotten from conquering him had suddenly turned quite bitter. Well, there were other fish, she reminded herself, and easier targets at that. Besides, none of that would matter if she got a hold of the flute…she would still have him anyhow…she would still have them all. Growling in anger, she stormed to the bar, ordered four drinks for herself and found a booth, downing each one in turn. But it was just as she was finishing the last one that she heard the grating sound of a violin and turned around to see the portrait of Severus, tsking and shaking his head at the empty mugs on the table in front of her.

"You! I should have known you were behind this!" Samira said viciously. The portrait pondered that a moment then shook his head, pointing at the empty ring finger on his right hand, then pointed at her, and she knew immediately he meant the Craw ring. "So what if I told them about the ring? I know quite well you have been haunting the paintings, and if wasn't for you, I would have had him long ago!" the portrait rolled his eyes. "Oh, believe what you like, it won't change a thing! You and all your pathetic little paintings have done nothing to stop what's going to happen to Severus or anyone else after that flute is found. And trust me, when that day comes, I personally will delight in burning you and all your painting friends to a crisp!" she snarled.

"Hate my image that much, do you?"

Samira looked up in horror to see Severus sitting behind her in the next booth, a familiar looking golden haired boy grinning nastily at her on the wall beside him.

"I think you finally had one drink too many, Samira," Severus said, his eyes flashing angrily. "As I was walking back in, my son's painting caught up with me and suggested it might be thought provoking if I took a seat, and I think from what I just heard he was quite right. Exactly what do you want the flute for, Samira? To find out who summoned you, or to use the flute to summon others like you?" he demanded.

"Tell me, Severus," she said in her lilting playful voice. "Do you believe in Hell?"

"After this year, very much so," Severus said. "But I refuse to be your Tannhauser any more, and I'll be damned if I allow you to sink my family as well."

"Let's see, no wife, no job, no self respect, I think you've already damned yourself nicely, at least, even without too much help from me," Samira said. "I am sorry we couldn't have found the flute together…I could have sent you on to the Unseelie Court, where I'm sure you would have been well received, heir of Merlin and all of that. But then, I can still find the flute first, can't I? Oh, but don't worry, Severus…once you're brought to the other side, you won't mind being turned into breeding stock, men never do. It's some of the women that turn into whiners about it, but one must do what one must to survive. So if your dear ex is somehow lucky enough to find that flute and foolish enough to try and use it to control us, I'm sure she will end up just another pregnant drone. But if you're a good boy and behave once I get you home, I might let you watch if you like," she taunted. As he snarled and drew his wand, Samira instantly disappeared.

"I say we gut that slimy hole and string her up with her own entrails," the young Corey portrait suggested enthusiastically. While the Severus portrait quietly agreed, the real Severus was much too angry with himself to notice anything else.


	41. The Cold Hard Facts

Chapter Forty-One

The Cold Hard Facts

The next morning, Jennifer had to stare at the ceiling for a long time when she had awoken, attempting to sort out exactly who she was and what she was doing there. Slowly she got up, got dressed, pulled up her hair and put on her glasses, protectively pushing them all the way up. She walked across the Headmaster's Study without so much as a cup of coffee and opened a narrow cabinet and slid out a covered painting, carefully putting it on an easel that appeared nearby and uncovered it. She stood in front of it and waited patiently for the eyes of the Merlin painting to blink.

"Ah, it's you, I wondered when you'd call," Merlin said with a gentle smile.

"Yes, I've… well, I've gotten myself into a bit of a bind," Jennifer said carefully.

"Well put," Merlin nodded.

"I don't suppose you're on this side of the gate still? If not, I'm willing to talk to you this way, but I do need to talk to you," Jennifer said.

"Quite all right, come meet me down at the shop, Jennifer. It'll be there by the time you arrive," Merlin said.

"Thank you," Jennifer said.

"Oh no, thank you," Merlin said, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I can't think of another woman I'd rather wake up to first thing in the morning." Jennifer rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a smile before covering the painting up. She turned around and walked over to the portrait on the opposite wall, sliding her glasses to her nose.

"Good morning, dear Severus. I suppose you've been out all night spying again?" Jennifer asked, but the painting shrugged and shook his head. "Just watching over him? There was no need for spying?" Jennifer said, baffled. "Isn't watching the same as spying? And what do you mean no need for it?" Severus gazed at her steadily. "They broke up?" she said, relief washing over her. "He realized she was just trying to use him… oh, that poor man," she murmured. The Severus painting blinked and then stared at her stonily. "He got what he deserved? I dare think he did, and I totally agree with you, but that doesn't mean I can't be sympathetic too," Jennifer protested, while the portrait let out a silent sigh and shook his head at her. "Hopefully his next choice in a girlfriend isn't as bad," she added innocently, the portrait immediately looking horrified.

"You don't think you could take another one?" she chuckled softly at his reaction. "Well, let's worry about that when we come to it, but for now I think it's safe to say he's out of moves. Do you agree with me that now that's over I can safely make my own decisions without impeding his?" she asked. Severus nodded, and gestured with an open hand that she had the floor. "Good. I need to go have some words with Toby over this quest business first and foremost, so if you can get word to Demura that I've left the castle for the morning and put Aurelius on security until Hermione gets here, I think it's time to get the ball rolling."

The early morning sun was unseasonably warm, the fog lifting quickly as Jennifer Apparated in front of Toby's Trinkets and took a second do enjoy her surroundings before finally stepping in to see Toby at the counter, pouring them both some coffee out of a Thermos.

"Good morning, Jennifer. I went and got us some coffee. Granted, it won't be made until five hours from now, but I think you'll find it satisfactory," he said mischievously.

"I won't even begin to ask how exactly you would have done that," Jennifer chuckled, appreciatively walking up and taking a sip of Kingler's blend with an appreciative sigh. "Grateful, nonetheless. How it brings back memories!"

"Memories are a wonderful thing to have," Toby agreed.

"Yes, unless they're not your own," Jennifer said, Toby nodding thoughtfully at that. "Despite the fact they have been enlightening, I think I must have played the wrong hand this time."

"No, I disagree, actually," Toby said, gazing at her steadily. "As I understand it, at that moment it was time to call or fold, and you…let alone the world…could not afford a fold. You did the right thing, Jennifer."

"Yes, but now I'm saddled with a quest I can't complete. Mallus Craw declared Viviane the enemy of the Craw family and wants her destroyed. I couldn't do that, Toby, even if I wanted to, and I certainly don't want to use the flute to do it."

"Well, fortunately for you, it sounds as if he did tie that quest to the flute, so destroying the flute will definitely free you from the curses on that ring," Toby said. "Of course, there is the problem in that the flute was accidentally used by the person who found it."

"Samira isn't from this world, is she?" Jennifer asked with a sigh.

"Oh, no, far from it. She's from mine, really… the other side of my world, in a barren wasteland caused by gluttony and in castles of crystal, stone and ash…a Dark Fae from a dark past," Toby said quietly.

"Succubus?" Jennifer asked.

"Rather a step above that, actually," Toby admitted. "Her name is Lilueth de Lamira, the reigning queen of what you refer to as the Unseelie Court, a third generation Lilin…her grandmother was a demon by whom you, I'm sure, have heard of. Her name was Lilith."

Jennifer stared at him, the color draining from her face. Toby let her gawk long enough for that to sink in.

"Man, when Severus screws up, he goes all out, doesn't he?" Jennifer said.

"Well, yes, I admit that's been my sentiment often enough as of late," Toby admitted, but Jennifer shook her head.

"Sorry, honestly it's probably not my place to criticize someone else's decision like that…"

"Oh, nonsense, Jennifer, I do it myself all the time, I just try not to interfere with them," Toby chuckled. "Fighting for the free will side can be a pain in the ass sometimes, you know."

"So I am quickly and most brutally learning, Mr. Toby," Jennifer said, and Toby gave her a comforting smile.

"Now, try not to worry, Jennifer. As I understand things at the moment, I don't believe Severus has done anything that's condemned his soul quite yet. His conscience has been working overtime to keep him from doing anything irreparable, and at times acting through his familiars and yes, even his own painting to do so," Toby added with a twinkle in his eye. "Perhaps if she had used her true name he would have guessed her nature sooner. She normally does, you know… she is quite bold if you haven't noticed. The only reason she took a different first name in this case was that when she picked Severus as a target, she happened to sense that the name might have been a little too close to Lily and was afraid that that reminder to his past would have put him off his attempts at trying to figure out why he was attracted to her in the first place. I dare think he still hasn't quite figured it out."

"Those types of creatures put out all sorts of natural charms for that sort of thing…I mean, rather like Fleur who needs only walk down the street to get every man drooling…" Jennifer said.

"So they do, they play to a man's basic urges. They are more than a little susceptible to those sorts of attacks…hardly his fault in that aspect…men are just wired that way. An extremely beautiful and obviously eager to please woman comes into view and the brain switches off and his hormones go into overdrive," Toby chuckled.

"Now, don't give me that, Toby. Severus knows perfectly well how to sense those sorts of magical charms, and has enough self-control to bat away the natural ones. He's had to have with a Truth Seeker wife," Jennifer said, chortling at herself.

"Oh, yes, and I dare think he probably did pick up something was wrong at first, but he didn't understand what it was. You see, what he didn't realize is that Lilueth had picked her target well in advance of actually encountering him, and decided to take with her a bit of insurance. She took something that would not only mask some of the charm effect she was exuding, but also to strengthen her human bloodline to help her appear more human… not to mention making it even more unlikely that Severus would resist her advances. And that insurance was stolen, Jennifer; it was stolen from you."

"What?" Jennifer said, staring at him. Toby nodded somberly.

"I suppose it really all started after the call came from this world into hers. The flute was played, and a temporary gate was opened from ours to yours. She knew what it was, and knew the flute had caused it; for as you know time flows differently there and we live longer lives, and the minstrel had blundered in during her mother's generation. Seeking vengeance, she decided to answer the call herself. But temporary gates can be tricky, and by the time she had arrived, the person who had blown the flute had already returned home. He had happened upon it by accident, having been in those caverns for other reasons entirely, and he would have quite definitely been her first target had he been there, but he had already Portkeyed home to pick up his daughter. Lilueth sensed his movement and direction and was able to follow him all the way to London before she lost track of him; he had gone straight from home to a family gathering, and among so many people, she couldn't manage to find him. She knew he was of wizardkind, but even so there are many wizards and witches in London if you know where to look.

"She followed those impulses, looking for him… probably wandered in the Alleys, absorbing everything she could about the ways of the culture; absorbing it as easily as you might breathe the air, using her powers of reading emotions to further glean out what she could. At some point she then made it to the Ministry…such a storehouse of information there. And then one night she happened to pick up the strong presence of…well, my own blood," Toby admitted. "As you recall, I'm sure, from your encounter with the Fomorians, my bloodline runs stronger in Severus than anyone alive right now except my own son. He would have been easily detected by her even among so many others with hints of my blood, especially since he's come in contact with me often and received my instruction from time to time. And not only that, he was going through one of the most vulnerable points in his entire life; unhappy with his present, cursing his past, and dreading the future with every waking breath.

"He was already a walking time bomb by that point, Jennifer, I'm sure you realize that now. Even had it not been for the appearance of Samira, it was only a matter of time before something happened to set that bomb off. But for Lilueth, it was an opportunity much too tantalizing to pass up. Here he was, blood and apprentice of myself, whom she sees as an enemy, lying upon a bed of uncertainty and unhappiness that gave her so many opportunities to exploit his weaknesses and latch those claws in. And for icing on the cake, he wore a Dragonheart diamond; that which broke when the Fae went to war with each other… and when an ill fated faction of Faerie were taken in by a demon's promises to help win it for them and were soon swallowed by their mistake, turned into beasts of hatred and forced into a fate of lust by being cursed not to be able to reproduce directly with each other just as demons were. Lilueth could seek ultimate revenge by destroying that which made the diamond sing; the presence of fated love, as well as seek revenge on me for running away from the Unseelie Court as a boy and swearing to use my powers against them," Toby said quietly. "She would use Severus to help her find the flute, as well as use him to impregnate her in hopes of using my own blood against me to create a being to ultimately defeat me."

"Good thing Severus is sterile, then," Jennifer murmured, but Toby shook his head.

"Jennifer, not meaning to be vulgar at all, but Oat's Scythe isn't foolproof against demon kind, for what that potion does is simply keeps sperm from ever reaching maturity…effective enough for human to human purposes, granted, short of artificial insemination, but we're talking about a race known for stealing human and fae babes out of their beds for breeding. I guarantee you that potion wouldn't have mattered, especially if she succeeded in getting him on their side of gate… a new Tannhauser for a new age of Dark Fae," Toby said, Jennifer looking a bit ill. Toby took her hand. "I know this is hard, but you must hear it nonetheless, for you must understand how important it is that someone not only finds the flute before she does, but also for you to get back what she stole from you and return her from whence she came."

"Exactly what did she steal from me?" Jennifer asked with a frown.

"Chemistry," Toby explained. Jennifer blinked.

"Chemistry?" Jennifer repeated in confusion.

"We living beings exist on many levels Jennifer; mental, emotional, spiritual, and of course physical. In cosmic matches such as you and Severus, all of those are at heightened levels of attraction…physical no more and no less than any of the others. When you first met, you noticed his cunning mind, his mysterious withdrawn attitude, and his strength of character, did you not?" Toby asked, and a rather sheepish smile appeared on her face and she nodded. "And on top of all of that, you couldn't keep your eyes off him and you didn't know why…every time he got anywhere near you, all the hairs on your skin stood on end…your mind dwelled on him when he wasn't around and at very inopportune moments…his voice could send you to the floor with a single word and you found yourself doing things and saying things and promising things to him that afterwards you couldn't for the life of you figure out why you ever did such a thing in the first place. Do you deny it?"

"I did do that," Jennifer admitted with a soft chuckle.

"Yes, well…that is chemistry. His chemistry, and that was its affect on you, throwing out every whistle and bell and alarm in your physical body to let you know that he is a fine specimen as far as your own body's chemical makeup was concerned. The Muggles have a word for those, they are called pheromones; its rather like a chemical scent that bodies put off, sending signals to each other even when we're not aware of it. Of course, chemistry can have nasty effects on people if one's not careful, too; if the mental, emotional, and spiritual concerns aren't present but chemistry is, well, it tends to get people in a whole lot of trouble if they listen to it. That said, if demons know anything well, they do know about chemistry. So Lilueth bided her time, gathered her information, charmed a few officials to help her create a persona for herself, until one day you happened to come to the Ministry to research a little family history in the basement. Picking up Severus' own influences on you, she knew quite well who you were, and using the wild magic she was born with, she tore your own body's chemistry away from you, and while your physical signals began to fade, hers steadily grew."

"That wasn't a normal fainting spell I had in the Archives that day," Jennifer said with alarm, standing up. "That was her!"

"Yes, Jennifer, yes it was," Toby said somberly. "In fact, Severus had his first encounter with her later that day, something she personally set up to test and make certain the chemistry had taken hold."

"Why, that horrible…horrible… Argh! What I'd like to do her…this is awful! Now I feel like…Toby, why didn't you tell me! You must have known about this the whole while, why didn't you warn me?" Jennifer asked, shaking with anger.

"Would you have allowed Severus to make his own decisions, Jennifer, had you known?" Toby asked quietly.

"No…" Jennifer said with frustration, sitting down. "No… I'd have been on her in a second!"

"And more than likely put yourself in just as much danger if not more danger than Severus has been in," Toby said. "She may have been playing a human all the while, Jennifer, but she has the same heritage that I do…demon, elf and human, the demon being the stronger line. She's quite dangerous, and she has a great deal of magic to command."

"But then how do I get rid of something like that?" Jennifer asked.

"The only way you can, by going back to where that temporary gate was created and sending her back, and then destroying the flute so she cannot use that route again," Toby said.

"But how do I get her there in the first place?" Jennifer asked.

"By using that which called her, Jennifer," Toby said. "If you play the flute and open a temporary gate, she will hear it and will come back on her own to find out what's going on. But Jennifer…that will be extremely dangerous, for once she sees who you are, she will undoubtedly call through the gate to the consort, and if you don't get her through quickly, they will most likely swarm to try to take you back. Listen to me, Jennifer, this is not a job you can do alone. You will need people you can trust going with you to protect your back and protect each other in case the Host is released, because otherwise you will be dragged into a fate much worse than death. The Queen and her court must be sealed on the other side without prisoners, and most especially not you."

"Why most especially not me?" Jennifer frowned.

"Because, Jennifer, I don't want to have to kill Severus from the rampage that would inevitably ensue when he has to come to grips with the part he played in all of this," Toby said quietly. Jennifer gazed at him for a long time.

"Well, he's just going to have to come to understand that he's made his decisions, but now it's time that I made mine," Jennifer said, standing up again. "He didn't cause the flute to be here, and regardless of what happened to him personally, he didn't cause Lilueth to come here, either. It is I that wanted to find the truth behind the ring, and he hardly caused the flute to call to it. It was I who decided to put on the ring, and it is I who have decided that I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to complete Mallus Craw's quest. I have decided I am going use the flute to put things to rights, for the world and for my family, and if I die or worse in the attempt, it is my decision alone and no one else's. Please take care of him, Toby, please," Jennifer pleaded softly. "I do love him."

"I never doubted that," Toby said evenly. "And although I cannot make any promises since he still has decisions yet to make, I will do my best to look after him."

"I understand," Jennifer said with a solemn nod, and with that she turned and left, but she didn't go straight to Hogwarts.

Instead she Apparated into the Leaky Cauldron and then straight out the door, hurrying around the corner before anyone could question her about her 'dangerous activities with dark artifacts' stated in that morning's paper. She strode into Maryced's and up to the counter, and Cedric, who had been stocking the case, grimaced when he saw her.

"Oh, Professor. I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said. "I don't exactly how, but the Dragonheart diamond in your ring cracked, along with the others in my stock."

"Yes, yes I know," Jennifer said. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, but I would like it back if you don't mind," she said, Cedric immediately turning to the safe to get it out. "There's something else I need."

"Sure, what would you like?"

"The crystal flute," Jennifer said. Cedric looked up in surprise. "On the trip you took abroad in the Alps…the one cavern where you found the wulfenite…you found a crystal flute lying in a cavern there with magic resonance, although you weren't sure what it did. You even tried to play it, but no notes came out. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, but how do you know about it?" Cedric asked, bewildered.

"Believe it or not, my entire family has been looking for it for ages. I guess we should have thought to keep Harry updated on what was going on with our research, because maybe if he had known he might have said something, but that's neither here or there now. The fact of the matter is that flute is very dangerous artifact tied to this cursed ring I'm wearing, and if it isn't destroyed in a certain way, it's going to endanger everyone. Just tell me how much you want for it, Cedric, please, but I really must have that flute, and any information you can give me on where you found it," Jennifer said.

Cedric paused and looking in the safe, glancing over the tags on several rings inside before taking out Jennifer's and setting it on the counter for her. He then took out the flute, carefully wrapped in cloth then went over to his worktable, copying a map and making a mark on it before rolling it over the flute.

"Here you are, Professor, it's yours," Cedric said. "The map has all the information you probably need just…ignore the mineral deposit locations for me."

"How much, Cedric…" but he held up a hand.

"I'm not about to take money for something you're going to destroy, especially something that will help you get that thing off that's been apparently wreaking havoc on your career from what Uncle Ron has been telling us. Just take it, Professor, go save the world, just promise I get to hear the whole story later," Cedric grinned. Jennifer grinned back, glancing briefly at the map.

"One thing's for sure," she said, putting her wedding ring back on, broken stone or not. "I'm going to be shopping here a lot more often from now on, even if Tassels and Panning do howl about it!"

"Thanks, Professor," Cedric chuckled.

"Oh, and if anyone does come looking for this thing…"

"Never seen it before, didn't give it to anybody?" Cedric inquired.

"How I love Potters," Jennifer said with a grin. "Thanks, Cedric."

* * *

It was very late that night just as they were beginning to close that Severus wandered into the jewelry shop. Mary, who was sitting at the counter putting charms on a new bracelet, glanced up in complete surprise.

"Professor Snape! You're here late. Have you come for your ring as well?" she asked curiously.

"Um…yes, I suppose, I might as well pick that up, although I was wondering if I could talk to Cedric for a moment. He mentioned to me at one point he'd been abroad over the summer?"

"Yes, he found some very nice caverns in the Alps, ones that were listed on our maps and not Muggle maps, so he had all sorts of luck there," Mary said.

"Yes, that's what I was afraid of. Is he here?" Severus asked.

"Sure, one moment," Mary said, slipping into the back, the two of them coming out together, while Mary went to the small customer safe to pull out the ring.

"Good evening, Professor Snape, how can I help you?"

"There's something I want to ask you about that trip you took over the summer," Severus said. "Mary was just telling me you had been exploring some caverns on our maps, and not theirs?"

"Er, yes, but I have licenses for rock hunting in that area, Professor, as long as I don't try drilling or using magic…"

"I'm more interested to know if you found anything unusual there?" Severus asked, Mary watching the exchange thoughtfully. Cedric blinked, but then shrugged.

"Hm. Nope," Cedric said with a smile.

"What I'm referring to is an instrument of some magical properties. I believe a resident of Hamlin, trying to hide it after Mallus Craw cursed the town, might have gone there to try and return it to its source. Certain you didn't find anything? A flute perhaps?" Severus asked. But he hadn't missed the fact that Mary was watching Cedric with an intent frown on her face.

"Nope, sorry, no clue what you're talking about. I was there for wulfenite," Cedric said.

"Yes, well, hopefully I can find out who found it then, since whoever it is more than likely in a bit of danger, because whoever found it blew a note on that flute and summoned a creature out of the Otherworld," Severus said bluntly. Cedric's smile disappeared.

"What?" Mary said, aghast. "But how could he have known… ow!" Mary suddenly stopped and winced in the pain in her foot, glaring at her husband.

"The flute, Mr. Potter," Severus said firmly.

"Don't have it, sorry," Cedric said evenly, while Severus squinted at him searching. "I admit I may have had it. And if my testing it did have that effect, I am sorry and it wasn't intentional. But I don't have it now. Sorry."

"Here's your ring back, Professor," Mary said, holding it out, and as he took the broken diamond ring, he remembered something she had said.

"Jennifer was in here today. She got her ring as well," Severus said, his eyes darting between them. "She has the flute, doesn't she? What is she planning to do with it? Mr. Potter, I would like to keep my wife alive, if you don't mind, so I suggest you tell me."

"She didn't say," Cedric said at last with a sigh. "All she said was that it was dangerous and had to be destroyed in a certain way or it would endanger everyone."

"In a certain way?" Severus repeated, wondering what she meant by that. "That was all she said?"

"Well, she did tell me not to tell anyone she had it," Cedric admitted sheepishly. "And she had me make a copy of the map where I found it at. Do you need one too?"

"Let me see it," Severus scowled, and then glanced over the map briefly. "No, my map is better."

"Oh. Can I have a copy of yours then?" Cedric asked hopefully.

"Why would she need a map unless she were planning to go back there for some reason?" Severus asked himself. "Unless…somehow she knows where Samira came from…the paintings…she does know, and she's going back because she plans on using the thing to…" Severus suddenly turned and strode out the door. "Do me a favor and ask your father to meet me at Sagittari's Hut! We need to talk."

"Sure, Professor," Cedric said, watching him Disapparate right outside the door. "You know, maybe I should have followed my sister's advice and become an Auror too, Mary. Maybe then I'd know what the hell is going on around here."

"Well, look on the bright side, at least people are coming in the shop more," Mary said, kissing him lovingly.

"Yeah, now we just need to get them to buy something," Cedric said. "Come on, let's go pick up Olivia and let Dad know that for some reason or another that shit is about to hit the fan."


	42. The Ring of Silence

_A/N Second Chapter of the Day, Enjoy! _

Chapter Forty-Two

The Ring of Silence

Jennifer gathered Aurelius, Andrew, and Francis that very evening and took the key to the Craw farmhouse. It was just as well that she had decided to wait and go to the family meeting with them, for the moment they entered the living room, a furious rage overwhelmed Jennifer and she pulled her wand on Alex. If it hadn't been for Andrew's cry of warning and Thomas' and Aurelius' quick reflexes, the expedition would have ended before it had even begun. Pulsating anger and disgust was beating through Jennifer's head as she heard part of herself shouting furiously back at Mallus Craw and his first reaction at seeing a Craw carrying a half-blood child. If it had truly been Mallus standing there instead of only a memory, Jennifer was certain Alex would have been quickly gutted and then disposed of. But somehow she was finally able to force herself to the surface, opening her eyes to find her father kneeling beside her, watching her carefully.

"Oh, hullo, Dad," Jennifer said with a wan smile.

"I think she's back," Thomas decided, helping Jennifer sit up. She glanced over to see Aurelius turning the Aegis back into a medallion and then putting it around Alex's neck.

"Just in case," Aurelius said solemnly.

"Sorry, I should have guessed he might have had an issue with Alex. I didn't think to plan for it," Jennifer said.

"It's amazing you can fight him off at all, really," Andrew said, helping her into a chair.

"I think it's because I held the Mallus Craw wand for so long," Jennifer explained tiredly. "In some ways the impulses I get are quite similar, I just wasn't ready for that one. Sorry I tried to kill you, Alexandria."

"Not like you didn't threaten to often enough when I was little," she joked lightly.

"Never mind the trivial banter. You said you had news and a mission for us, Jen-girl," Thomas prompted, pushing a glass of water in her hand.

"Yes, I thought you'd want an update on everything I've learned from Mallus' memories to begin with," Jennifer said, dutifully taking a sip of the water before setting it aside.

"I hope the mission involves stringing up those three fools that forced you to put it on in the first place," Thomas growled, Fleur frowning at him disapprovingly.

"Someone would have had to put it on at one time or another, Dad," Jennifer sighed. "Because some of what I learned I don't think I could have put it together without it. But first things are first; I need to know how much you know already. How many of you have at one point or another found your way into the portrait of Severus' spy network?"

Alex, Andrew, Aurelius, Alicia, Corey, Francis, and Thomas all raised their hands. Only Fleur and Maurice didn't have their hands up.

"We did know about it," Fleur put in, and Maurice nodded.

"All of you?" Jennifer gawked, glancing over at where the Severus portrait leaned against the side of _l'Arc de Triomphe_ with his arms folded and smiling wickedly. "Damn, Severus, you've been busy."

"Actually, we've been calling him the professor, or Professor Rogue to keep it straight," Alicia chuckled. "Short for Professor Rogue Painting, of course."

"I was expecting you, Alicia, and Francis and Andrew, but how did the rest of you end up in it?"

"Actually, I was the first one brought in who wasn't a student," Alex admitted.

"Wait, there are students involved in this?" Jennifer frowned.

"Connie, Helena and Pimra," Andrew put in. "The professor recruited Connie to teach him sign language, and Helena and Pimra joined in to help teach some of the other painting operatives so he could relay orders easier."

"That's how I found out about it," Alex nodded. "I caught the professor signaling to one of the young Corey portraits in your office, warning him that Father was trying to cover and cut off all the paintings in his room. I don't think Professor Rogue realized that I could pick up hand gestures as easily as any other language. The moment I got out of the room, I told Alicia about it and we decided to confront him over it. That's how we ended up in, then Andrew and Aurelius got suspicious about what we were up to and they got sucked in too. I don't know how Corey got involved."

"The professor came to me on his own…well, by proxy. One of my own paintings started dogging me, actually," Corey chuckled. "He was simply keeping me up to date about what was going on just in case there was an emergency and he had to run me over to Dad's room at the Brooms."

"Never mind that I asked you to stay out of all of it," Jennifer scowled.

"We did for the most part, Mum, really," Alex insisted. "But we did want to know what Samira's deal was, especially after that scary encounter Aurelius had with her when he said for a moment she looked like you."

"What?" Jennifer gaped. "I wish you would have told me that sooner…then again, maybe not," she sighed, remembering Toby's words. "How did you get involved, Dad?"

"I believe I am the most recent addition, after I caught these two girls in the Artifacts vault after hours," Thomas grunted. "I demanded full disclosure, and then after hearing it, I decided perhaps it was time to see if Samira would screw up if instigated, so I had it slip to her that the vault had been entered at some point. I believe that's when she decided to go to the authorities about the ring, although I regret what came of that."

"Yes, that definitely backfired," Alicia sighed. "We were just thinking that maybe she would get nervous or say something that would make Father realize something funny was going on. We didn't know she knew where the ring came from until afterwards."

"Well, it didn't work the way we expected, but I wouldn't say it backfired," Corey said. "When Dad came and got his cloak from me yesterday, he seemed more worried about the ring than anything."

"The same when I saw him at the gate," Aurelius agreed. "And he wouldn't testify against Mum, either."

"And then something happened last night that put him off of her completely, but I haven't heard what yet," Jennifer said, glancing at the portrait who began motioning in sign language.

"He says that he didn't hear exactly what happened until afterwards," Alex said. "He says he was told by his main informant that he simply seemed to change his mind about the whole thing and went to take a walk, that was when Rogue had one of the Corey paintings to lead him around to the empty booth and listen while he…the professor painting, I mean…got Samira to trip up and say something about what she had been doing. Apparently she and the painting have had words before."

"Exactly who is your main informant anyhow?" Aurelius squinted, but immediately the professor and Corey himself turned to face the other direction.

"Now, Aurelius, a good Auror knows when not to reveal one's sources," Thomas said. "But now that Jennifer is up to date on what we've been up to, can we continue?"

"Yes, I suppose you're all probably wondering why Mallus was interested in the flute by now," Jennifer said, Thomas winding up his hand impatiently to get her to continue. "Apparently, he had heard about the whole Tannhauser thing and that a village had chosen to protect it, and he got the idea that he could use the flute to make a deal with the Unseelie Court. You see, the flute can open up gates to the Otherworld at locations where the fabric is weak enough to allow such a temporary gate to occur, but the flute itself can't travel through it; it's been bound to the planet, perhaps some sort of failsafe from whoever it was that created the thing in the first place. It can also only be played by someone who is human; Mallus may have had a banshee grandmother, but still, he's more human than anything. He was betting that his human blood would allow him to play the flute, while the Sidhe in him, plus the protections placed on this ring, would protect him from whatever charms the fae might try to launch at him. So, he would open the gate for them and allow them through to wreak havoc on the earth as they saw fit, provided that they agree to murder the only person his magic seemed to have no effect on. Viviane."

"Viviane?" Alex said, voicing everyone's surprise. "Why would he want her dead?"

"It should have been obvious, really," Jennifer said bitterly. "Viviane is the reason that the Craw family is linear. She's been manipulating the line since Janus Craw first disappeared, 'suggesting' certain marriages through prophecies and 'arranging' others…a mysterious disappearance here and there, a bit of poison to sterilize a Craw after they had a descendant she could tolerate going to the next generation…and voila. What does she have? A powerful dark wizard family to be her mercenaries for her…the Craws were willing to do anything, and seek out any vengeance. All she had to do was suggest a reason or even plant a reason that someone was working against a Craw, and they conveniently disappeared."

"Couldn't she have gotten Craws to do that without messing with the bloodline though?" Aurelius pointed out. "I mean, no offense, but some of the Craws in our line didn't need much of a reason to kill someone."

"Oh, I'm positive that a great many of them were more than willing and more than happy to do her dirty work for her, Aurelius," Jennifer said with a nod. "The bloodline thing was for her sole benefit. Because you see, since the Craw line was effectively engineered to have no Merlin blood in them, she could do whatever she pleased and kill whomever she pleased without Merlin ever being the wiser. Merlin needs blood relatives to remember events that happen when he's not in our world, Rel, but since ours was clean of that she could effectively commit any crime and cause as much interference as she liked without Merlin breathing down her neck to put her in her place. The Craw line was bred as pawns, and somehow Mallus found out and took offense to being manipulated."

"Come to think of it, I think I'm a bit offended by this manipulation as well," Thomas growled, Jennifer nodding in agreement.

"Wait a minute, what about us, though? I mean, there's four of us now, and we all have Merlin blood in us," Aurelius said.

"Maurice doesn't," Jennifer said evenly, and everyone looked over at the boy who gazed evenly back at them. "Technically he's the Craw line…although you're right that if I had been born at any different time I would have either mysteriously not been able to have children or I would have died from one of any number of close calls I had…I'm half wondering now if Viviane wasn't expecting me to die that night with the Ladle, honestly. But by that time, it was more than evident to her that we were going to succeed in getting the main portal at Stonehenge fixed, and Viviane knew with Merlin coming back to our world so he could check in on our progress now and again that what happened to me and my bloodline became a moot point. Merlin would more than likely be watching Severus and myself carefully after that and she wouldn't be able to manipulate me as she had previous generations. That said, we need to keep a careful eye, I think, on what happens to the Craw bloodline until we all have a bit of Merlin in us, and those of us that don't," she said, glancing at Thomas and Maurice, "need to be very, very, careful that she doesn't try to manipulate us in the meantime.

"That said," Jennifer continued. "We also need to clean up this ring. Obviously you realize I'm neither stupid enough to try and kill Viviane or stupid enough to allow this flute in my possession to be used to bring the Horde here. It was bad enough when the sluaghs got through that year when the portal was damaged, I need not tell you how bad it would be if the whole lot of them decided to wreak havoc on Europe. We also need to get Lilueth…that's Samira's real name…back to her demon kingdom where she belongs, and hopefully in the process she'll leave my pheromones behind."

"Wait, she stole your pheromones?" Corey said.

"So that's why Rasputin kept saying that Samira smelled like Mum?" Andrew said.

"And why I got that weird impression of Mum when I looked at her," Aurelius nodded.

"What the hell are pheromones?" Thomas asked irritably.

"Animal magnetism, grandfather," Andrew explained. "She took Dad's primal attraction for Mum and put it on herself."

"That's why he kept thinking she was a Veela?" Thomas said, but everyone stared at him, having no clue what he was talking about. Then he glanced at his daughter a moment and his face began to darken and a dangerous spark came into his eyes. "I think it's about time we went and took out that loose and filthy…" Everyone started shouting his name at once, and Fleur quite firmly reminded him his son was in the room. "Cat, I was going to say cat," he grunted, despite the fact that nobody was buying it.

"All right, I have the location of where we need to go, and Toby warned me not to go alone because she will probably try and call others of her kind to her aid when I try and get her back. Considering our family in general has a stake in this ring, I've decided to come to you for volunteers. This may very well be a one-way trip," Jennifer added quietly. Everyone in the room rose up a hand.

"We can't all go," Andrew protested. "Uncle Maurice, you can't even use magic yet."

"Yes I can," Maurice said evenly.

"Oh, no, don't tell me you did it again, Dad," Jennifer groaned.

"As a matter of fact, I did it legally this time," Thomas said defensively. "I happened to find an old law on the books that states that under aged wizards can be taught magic by their parents before school age if you can prove they are under 'constant and extreme danger.' Well, being that I'm the Minister of Magic and a Craw to boot, I simply listed out all my enemies, and Draco signed off on it."

"Grandfather tacked on the name of every known Death Eater, parolee of Azkaban and the Tower, all the inmates, and everyone on his current investigation list and suspect list," Aurelius put in dryly. "Not all of them were even alive."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?"

"Dad, we may be risking the entire Craw family here," Jennifer said bluntly. "Someone should stay behind so we don't give her a chance to wipe us all out."

"Wait a minute, surely you don't expect us to take these two?" Aurelius said, thumbing over at Alex and Alicia. "They can't even cast magic! What do you expect them to do? Try and talk or paint the fae to death?"

"Aurelius, if they take their Chest Cloaks, they are just as dangerous as the rest of us," Jennifer pointed out, "in fact, I myself found I could handle myself quite well even in my last trimester when I got into scrapes carrying the four of you. Secondly, they're not likely to be speaking our language if they come out in a drove and it'd be nice to know what they're doing and it'd also be nice for Alicia to be at bay in case we need to get wounded out in a hurry. Furthermore, I trust Alex and Alicia both to know what they can handle and when they need to get out."

"Francis? You're her husband, say something?" Aurelius sighed. Francis blinked.

"I'm not foolish enough to say anything against her going. If we do survive, I'd like to get some sleep in my own bed, if it's all the same to you. She's a Craw blood too; she has a right to be there. As for myself, I think I owe it to my father to see that flute destroyed and that ring put to rest, and I know perfectly well she wouldn't let me go without her," Francis said, Alicia smiling beatifically at him.

"Fine, Maurice will stay," Thomas decided. Maurice sighed in disappointment.

"Oh, no! But that means I must stay too!" Fleur protested. "I want to go as well! I may not have Craw blood, but Jennifer needs all the help she can get. I married the family, not just you, Thomas!"

"Wait, wait, wait, I'll stay," Corey said with a resigned sigh. "I'm not going to keep a Craw back when I have no blood claim on this fight. I'll take Maurice over to my house, grandfather. While I'm at it, I think I'll grab Ben and Janus too so everyone's together in case something goes wrong. Besides, I have five kids to think about, it has to be me that stays."

"Oh, Corey," Jennifer said tearfully, getting up and hugging him.

"You just get rid of that thing, Mom, that's all that matters now. Don't worry about the kids," Corey said, and then glanced over at Alicia and Alex. "But if things look bad and you have the time, you two had better get to my house."

"We'll try," Alicia promised.

"So I am going?" Fleur asked uncertainly.

"You're going," Thomas reassured her, kissing her forehead.

"Then I suggest the rest of us double check our cloaks and get ready to head out," Jennifer said.

"Perhaps a prayer might be an order?" Francis suggested. Alicia looked up at the ceiling, while Corey winced as Thomas stared starkly at him.

"Not unless you know a prayer that asks God to send all enemies to Hell before we get there… no wait, never mind, I'd still rather do it myself," Thomas said and walked out to grab his cloak, Fleur following behind with an apologetic smile towards Francis on her way out.

"Corey, if I die, tell Hermione that my lesson plan for tomorrow morning is in the top left cabinet," Andrew said.

"Mine is on my desk in my office," Francis said.

"I have tests planned across the board tomorrow," Aurelius put in. "They're all on the top shelf of the potion vault in a box marked "explosives."

"My journal should be up to date, but I'm sure with the portrait to help there will be no problems," Jennifer ventured.

"Do you realize what's going to happen if I go in that school and tell Hermione that four staff members died on a Sunday night? She'll kill me! Worse, she might put me to work!" Corey complained.

"Hold down the fort, Corey," Alex said teasingly.

"I want to get a hold of whoever started that phrase in this family," Corey muttered.

"Oh, yes, and take care of Lucky," Jennifer added quietly. "And your family, and your father, of course, he's likely to be even more of a mess after this."

"Just come back in one piece, Mom," Corey said seriously, and Jennifer smiled warmly at him.

"Do you know where we're going?" Alicia asked, and Jennifer nodded, glancing up at her father as he and Fleur stepped back in, Fleur hugging her son with a sigh.

"Let's set up a rendezvous at Hamlin and Apparate from there. I think considering the circumstances, it's only appropriate," Jennifer said.

"Son, if we don't get back, make sure you never forget what you learned tonight. The Craw legacy must go on after all," Thomas told him. "Oh, but don't you dare get Sorted into Gryffindor, or I'll come back and disown you postmortem."

"Come on, Maurice, we should get going," Corey chuckled.

"So should we all, really," Jennifer agreed, pulling on her cloak, the flute and map clutched in her hand as she accepted the lift up into the painting.

* * *

Surrounded by the immense mountain range, the night seemed quite black, and Jennifer found herself looking up at the sky for the first time in a long while. Her mind went to Lyra, and then to Sagittari, and then finally to Severus, before the others began to Apparate around her. Francis took out a sketch and tossed it down before helping Alex and Alicia out as well, rolling the painting back up afterwards.

"The caverns are just over there," Jennifer said quietly. "But I'm a bit loathe to try to go into them. They're quite extensive, and I'd rather see if we can't get a gate to open out here instead."

"Are we certain the gate will manifest wherever it's played, though?" Andrew asked.

"Well, Cedric wasn't even aware he created a gate," Jennifer said. "All the same, if it is a particular spot somewhere in the caves, at least if we're outside them we can close them off if it gets bad."

"Close them off, yes, but push them towards the gate, no," Thomas grunted. "Be that as it may, I think I'd rather start out here. I don't like the idea getting trapped in there."

"You and me both," Jennifer said dryly, taking out the flute. "Wands and potions ready, everyone," she warned before gently blowing a note through, not bothering to cover any holes. The note she had heard before was the same; but for some reason, it seemed less piercing to her, although she noticed that beside her, Aurelius was cringing noticeably. Everyone stood in the silence for a long while, waiting.

"Was something supposed to happen?" Fleur finally asked, but was quickly hushed.

It was only a minute later that Jennifer saw a flash of light and stared over at the cavern entrance as the light began to pulse and swirl until it covered it completely, spinning like a whirlpool with no visible end, the light beginning to dim further until it seemed to almost fade completely with only a ripple in the darkness every now and then to indicate it was still there.

"Look at that," Andrew murmured. "And it covers the whole entrance…"

"A trap for any unsuspecting walking in, it would seem," Thomas mused.

"Good thing Cedric took a key out, he would have blundered right into it," Jennifer said.

"Wait a minute, I hear something strange," Andrew said, taking a few steps closer. "It seems to be coming from the portal."

"Well, don't be a fool, boy, stay back here and don't get too close!" Thomas snapped.

"Why not?" a lilting voice asked, and immediately everyone turned their wands in the direction that they had heard it come from. "Are you afraid something is going to happen? And if so, then why blow the flute at all?"

"To send you back where you came from, Lilueth," Jennifer said firmly. "I think you've officially worn out your welcome here."

"Oh dear, if it isn't little Jennifer come to teach her competition a lesson," Lilueth tsked.

"If that were the case, I'd have interfered long ago," Jennifer said firmly. "This is about you not being where you belong and needing to go back there."

"Do you think so?" Lilueth said, seeming to ponder it. "You know, you do have a point, but I really don't like the idea of returning to my people empty handed. You see, we've been cut off from you humans for a while now, and Fae tend to get a little stale tasting after awhile. Oh, now, don't look at me like that! It's hardly our fault we're forced in a predicament of half-breeding, you have only the Seelie Court to blame for that, you know," she pointed out. "Besides, I think some of you might enjoy the other side better than you think…especially that one," she said, pointing out Andrew. "I'm afraid that thing is unsuitable though, I think we're better off just killing him," she mused, looking at Aurelius distastefully.

"She's toying with us for a reason, Jen-girl," Thomas snapped. "She's stalling for time, we're about to have visitors!"

"Oh no, no, no, not visitors, simply a welcoming committee!" Lilueth said.

"Push her back now, while we still can!" Jennifer ordered. "_Torrent!"_

But as the blast of water went towards her she suddenly blurred strangely and it seemed to pass right through her.

"Is that the best you can do?" she tsked, ducking the incoming green light from Thomas and somehow managing to push aside a sandstorm that Aurelius, Andrew and Francis had jointly cast, the spray going harmlessly over her head. "Conventional magic. Pathetic," she snorted.

"It's like trying to face Ciardoth all over again," Alex said worriedly.

"Yeah, except Ciardoth wasn't a slut," Alicia said back. "And there is one other problem," she added after glancing at the portal.

"What?"

"That…" she said, and Alex looked just as a wave of Dark Fae thundered through the portal.

Some were on the backs of giant snake-like creatures; the Fae riding them with strangely deformed legs and arms but otherwise relatively female. Some of the male Fae rode out on giant vultures, eyeing them almost hungrily, while their riders had beautiful chiseled elven faces but with bodies gnarled and withered as if they had aged hundreds of years. Suddenly, the ground shook as large figures appeared, seeming more troll-like than fae-like or even demon-like, each carrying poles with giant serrated blades.

"Oh boy," Andrew murmured. "Maybe you girls ought to leave now while you can."

"What, and leave you guys with that?" Alex said, while Alicia looked a great deal more uncertain about the whole concept of staying.

"Might I present my royal handmaidens, my royal escort, and my royal guard?" Lilueth said in a polite and mocking voice. "Courtiers, might I present dinner?" she added with a quick hand gesture.

Immediately the Dark Fae were on them, and in the mayhem, Jennifer quickly lost track of anything but the vulture and rider pecking at her, using a blind spell to send it flying into the fray of the rest of the battle as around her potions were exploding and bright colors of magic spells seemed to be coming from every direction. The poor lighting made it even more chaotic, and Jennifer had nearly and quite accidentally turned Fleur into stone when she had come up behind her in full feathers as her eagle form took shape. Jennifer quickly decided she would not want to be at the other end at that woman's talons as she began snapping up the spears of the guards and snapping them into toothpicks. At least one of them, it seemed, had fallen victim to one of Alicia's shrink potions, but the snakes were being a problem, their heads had massive range, and the women upon them were clever with their charms. But Jennifer had caught her breath and happened to notice Andrew falling in a trance and raced over, making a few quick verbal gestures before leveling her wand at them and calling up a Shrieking Death.

The blast was much, much stronger than expected, and even as the snakes the women were riding suddenly reared up in intense pain and the elves clutched their ears, the sonorous shields she had just thrown up around the others were oscillating in a way she had never seen before and she quickly pulled her wand up. A curious silence fell in her ears after that, and a strange look of shock traveled through her family while the snake mounts quivered and fell over dead, their riders not looking much better for the experience, holding their ears and shaking their heads in pain. It was then that her hearing began to return and she glanced around in time to see her father recover, casting a projectile spell at one of the fallen spears that made its mark in one of the guard's throats.

"How about you don't try that again?" Thomas snapped as the rest picked up their arms again and Jennifer had to turn to repel the women's attempts at subduing her.

"At least it seemed effective," she shouted.

"A lot of good if it kills us too," Thomas retorted, and then barked a warning as another wave came in from the portal. "I thought that thing was supposed to be temporary! How long is it going to stay open?"

"I have no idea," Jennifer admitted, the others quickly gathering around as a strange swarm of creatures resembling malnourished, humpbacked men came at them with knives and she was too busy casting the disarm spell over and over to do much else. At some point, Aurelius had gotten the Aegis back from Alex and was even now holding the shield out in front of his two sisters, who were lobbing every potion with even a slight chance at slowing what was coming down on them out of their cloaks, grimly realizing they were quickly running out of options.

"We can't do this much longer, we're going to have to retreat before too long," Alicia said.

"And do what? Let these things wreak havoc on the German countryside?" Jennifer snapped.

"At least if they stopped to grab some Muggles it'd save us a bit of time," Thomas said, earning several dirty looks. He ignored it, letting another spray of acid fall out of his wand, despite the fact that some of them didn't seem to even feel the red welts and boils developing on their skin. "This is no good, there's just too many! The only way of taking out an army this size is by taking out their command structure!"

"Meaning what, Thomas?" Fleur asked, having recovered from her state and was now busy transfiguring some of the broken poles and spears into temporary holding walls to keep them from swarming right over them.

"It means we need to take out the queen," Jennifer said, glancing at her ring before making a decision. "Rel, take it!" Jennifer said, handing him the flute. "Destroy it only at last resort or if it looks like we're getting the upper hand, the rest of you cover and make sure none of them get a hold of that thing!"

"And just what are you going to do?" Thomas asked with a frown.

"What do you think? I'm going to try to end this," Jennifer snapped. "Move over, Dad. That bitch is mine."

Thomas watched her thoughtfully for a moment as she passed him and strode straight for Samira. At a whim, Thomas turned and cast a Shrieking Death in her direction, cutting a swath around her as some of the fae paused to recoil, and although Jennifer felt the spell bathe her heard nothing but dull whispers as she walked over to the woman who had been watching with a mix of interest and amusement.

"Why, what is this? Fought your way back out of the womb, did you? We can't have that!" Samira tsked. "Personally I would much rather have had Severus at my beckon call, but I suppose you'll do for now."

"Not bloody likely," Jennifer said, calling up the Shrieking Death again. But somehow the Lilin managed to split the sound waves again and sprayed them out in different directions and Jennifer had to stop rather than risk it backlashing on the others.

"Ah, ah, ah, you're not the only one with Sidhe blood, here. You're going to have to do better than that," Samira said with a nasty smile.

But Jennifer had a dark look on her face that was quite unreadable to the woman at that moment, and the creature was suddenly caught unawares as all the air around her disappeared and she found herself fighting suffocation. But Samira was furious now and somehow managed to fight the sensation off, and soon the ground under Jennifer's feet beginning to tremble. Quickly, Jennifer cast the footprint spell on herself just as the ground underneath her began to lose its solidity and turn into a muddy trap, running quickly over the top of it before she had a chance to sink into it and charging Samira at the same time, casting on the run.

_"Aetherfax!" _she shouted, pointing up at the sky and down at Samira's feet. But Samira had chanced to look up to where Jennifer was pointing to see what she was up to and was able to dive partially out of the way as the meteorite came down like a ton of TNT and struck the area Samira had been standing a moment before. But once again, the spell had been much bigger than Jennifer expected and she felt herself thrown back, looking up as the glow from the impact began to subside to see a strange shadow around the back of the woman like a carpet of snakes, making Jennifer wonder if there wasn't a bit of gorgon in Samira's bloodline as well. But when the Lilin stood, that momentary shadow disappeared even as the rage grew on her face.

"So, you pretend to command the heavens?" Samira said, a strange mist forming around her.

"I command nothing except myself," Jennifer said. "Of course, that means I still have you trumped."

"No spell your feeble world can throw can possibly do anything to me, so you might as well give up now," Samira tsked.

"Maybe, but I also have worlds of knowledge on something you, for all your pathetic trying and tricks, know absolutely nothing about," Jennifer said with a grim smile. "I even have four children by him to prove it." Samira's eyes flashed and she growled. "What? Couldn't even manage to get him to cooperate for just one evening? And you've been working on him for how long? I believe the night I decided I was ready for that sort of thing, it took me all of five minutes. Apparently what you stole from me wasn't enough, wasn't it? Men have always been toys for you, mind puzzles just waiting for you to crack, but this time, you just couldn't figure it out, could you? Perhaps it's your appearance, you are a little dark after all, and that hair…really, complete overkill don't you think? You have years of charming Fae and your own kind into doing your bidding, but one mere human mortal has you completely baffled? I think you're probably just losing your touch, because if it isn't your bland looks, it has to be something, doesn't it? _MORTIFY!"_

Samira let out a terrible shriek that rang out through the air, pressing her hands against her head at the thoughts that began swirling in them while Jennifer kept casting, dark and determined to keep the spell on her as long as necessary to break her will. The Court begin to react to the scream, some pausing to look while others began to fly or veer off towards them.

"Get them knocked down!" Thomas shouted. "Don't let them overtake her!"

"I can't seem to Disapparate! Aurelius, toss me!" Andrew said, and began to change forms.

Quickly handing the shield back to the girls, Aurelius picked up the squirrel that appeared and threw him in the air, casting a spell that launched the beast that opened its arms and glided down between where they had been fighting and where Jennifer stood still holding Samira at bay. Francis quickly began to conjure bolas to wrap around the fliers' wings that had tried to come to their aid, attracting the attention of one of the humpbacked demons that suddenly turned and launched himself at him. A moment later, it found itself in the dirt, missing the brilliant blue barn swallow that flew out of range.

"Oh, great, now we got Cute to go along with Fuzzy," Aurelius complained as he hogtied the demon on the ground and then turned his attention elsewhere.

"You're just jealous you can't do it," Alicia snapped, tossing a putrefy gas over their heads with a simple sling. "I'm running really low on potions. About all I got left are healing ones!"

"I have a feeling we'll be using those pretty soon," Aurelius said grimly as several more of the troll-like soldiers came out.

"Don't worry, it looks like Mum is finally getting the upper hand," Alex said. And it did, at that moment, look very much like the Lilin was beginning to fade.

But just as Jennifer managed to force the creature to one knee, she began to see the dark shadows she had noticed before reappear, and a strangeness come to Samira's face. Jennifer intoned the spell again to try and strengthen it further, trying not to waver as she saw an image transposed over the woman of black Kraken-like tentacles instead of hair and elongated, claw-like fingers and nails. A dark curved sword was in one of those clawed hands, and as the Lilin fought against the Mortification spell and stood, regaining her human form, the sword was still there.

Jennifer quickly broke off the spell to take up a better defense, but it proved to be too late as the sword sliced powerfully into her wand arm. Jennifer cried out as it became wedged halfway through instead of amputating it like Samira had been intending. But the Mallus Craw ring was pulsing, keeping it from continuing all the way through, and although it saved her arm, it didn't protect her from the excruciating pain it caused, making Jennifer drop her wand and stumble.

The smug smile reappeared on Samira's lips as she slowly removed her sword, ignoring Jennifer's protests and putting enough pressure that Jennifer ended up on the ground to try and escape it, losing her spectacles in the process. She heard her father calling her name, coming from the center of the fighting. Andrew ran towards them, but the riders who had been knocked off their flying mounts were quickly on him and he was too busy trying to keep their own swords at bay to go any further.

"Ah, that's better. I do prefer subservience in my subjects, although I would have preferred to see Severus on his knees rather than you, but all in good time," Samira said playfully, and Jennifer was aware of the tip of the sword against her neck.

"Just kill me and get it over with, Samira, I could do without the monologue," Jennifer sighed.

"Kill you? And waste perfectly good breeding stock? The Horde would never forgive me for that! No, they'll be more than pleased to get someone of your caliber, even at your age… a few of them will probably even fight over you, but I'm sure in time they'll learn to share," she sneered, grasping her by the hair dragging her forward with her sword still under Jennifer's neck, ignoring her cries for help.

Suddenly a large dark shadow appeared over them, and before Jennifer could really understand what was going on, the sword at her neck fell to the ground. Drops of black blood dripped on her cheeks, burning her skin, and she felt a strange sensation as if she were sinking into the ground. The Lilin began to scream with such a shriek of terror that Jennifer felt a chill run through her even as the grip on her hair was released.

Samira tried to ward off the attack of the beast that had just pierced her arm and was even now biting ferociously at her shoulder with sharp serrated teeth, its fierce eyes flashing red. Samira seemed to instantly forget all about Jennifer as she concentrated on getting its long bronze beak out of her shoulder and pushing off the iron-bodied creature. As Samira turned, Jennifer saw that her back covered in dart-like brass feathers.

"Descartes!" Jennifer said with tears of relief. "Great stars, it's Descartes!" Adrenalin soared in and Jennifer used the time to get a potion down to relieve the pain and scramble onto her feet as the Stymphalian broke off the attack. Jennifer heard the familiar sound of a high-pitched whistle in the distance, and Jennifer couldn't help but allow herself a moment of triumph as Descartes began to shoot volleys of razor sharp feathers at several of the Dark Fae that had broken away from the pack. "Man, have you lost!" Jennifer said with such certainty that it only infuriated Samira even more, the darkness reappearing again as she attempted to lessen her own wounds. "I'd retreat now, if I were you."

"Perhaps I shall," Samira said icily, taking a step towards her in her demon form. "But I will be taking you with me!"

Before Jennifer had time to react, she felt something coiling around her feet and legs and realized belatedly it was the demon's tentacle hair, as Samira suddenly launched herself at the portal and taking Jennifer with her. The speed was incredible, much more than Jennifer would have expected, and they seemed to be floating on air or flying, Jennifer wasn't sure which. But as they reached into the portal and Jennifer closed her eyes in resignation, she felt herself slam up against something hard that knocked the wind out of her.

She opened her eyes again in surprise as the tentacles unwrapped themselves and she slid to the ground, not understanding at first what had happened as she found herself turning to stare at the swirling gate. The portal had rejected her, she realized in amazement as she tried to recover. For some reason, when Lilueth had attempted to pull her through, it had refused to take her. In shock she felt the air in front of her, but her hand simply stopped as if there were a wall there. As she took a wary step back, she noticed a strange glowing mist gather around her, and it wasn't until she felt a warm heat develop on her skin and had trouble breathing that she realized it was the part of her she had been missing, rejected, it seemed, as she had been. Her head spun much like it had that first day, but a fever raged with it, her heart racing as her body tried to compensate, finally passing out.

But although Jennifer might have felt as if hours might have passed as she lay there, mere seconds had gone by before a beautiful red bird descended and rubbed her injured arm with his tearful eyes, gathering the back of the woman's cloak and robes in his talons and taking flight. Jennifer blinked as a rush of wind hit her and she woke up to find herself dangling in air with lights flashing below as the battle raged on. She saw another light and realized when she stared at it that it came from her wedding ring, glittering like white starlight, and as she flew overhead she noticed two other similar lights in the middle of the fray.

"What is going on?" Jennifer said confounded, looking up. "Why, it's Farynor! Harry's here too!" she exclaimed, even as the Phoenix began to descend upon three figures standing on a ridge in view of the battle and the portal below, and Jennifer let out a soft cry of joy when she saw Severus, Harry, and Sagittari there, and curiously enough, the Lia Fal standing behind Severus as if it had always been there. As she landed she noticed Harry with his Sword, smiling at her, while Sagittari stood with the Spear on his back, holding out the Cauldron solemnly. "Boy, am I glad to see you three!" Jennifer said emphatically, hurrying over to the other side of Harry to grab the Cauldron from Sagittari.

"Wouldn't have missed it," Harry grinned at her as Farynor dropped her wand at her feet.

"Save it! This is no time for chitchat!" Severus snapped, using his wand to send a pattern of flashing lights towards the group holding off the demons below. "I've earthbound all the Craws and strengthened the temporal and magic differentiations between our world and theirs at the point where the gate has opened. If we can start the gate closing at a steady and slow enough pace, it should create a vacuum effect that pulls the holdouts back where they belong! Hands, everyone!"

Jennifer felt the Synchronium spell waft over her, and as one, the four Sentinels pointed their wands at the gate, which grew bright and brilliant as it had been when Jennifer first saw it opened. The change in the gate had made many of the Dark Fae look up in confusion, and many panicked as it began to contract, the majority of them rushing in on their own. It was the ones who had been actively being attacked who hadn't had time to look around, but Thomas barked at the others to alert them to what was going on, attempting to force the troll-like warrior back with his magic.

"Father sent a message!" Alex shouted as the others turned to do the same. "He said we need to destroy the flute as soon as the last one enters! He's afraid that Samira will have time to realize something went wrong and try to get back, and destroying the flute should seal the rift here permanently!"

"But how do we destroy it?" Fleur asked, using a repel charm to make some progress of her own.

"Doing the spell we Craws do best!" Thomas shouted. "Rel, you and Andrew will help me focus Shrieking Death on the wand! Fleur and Francis, get those Sonorous shields around yourselves and those girls, and be ready for backlash when that thing blows!"

Just then, the gate began to contract even faster, and as the pull began to take effect on the remaining few, they finally seemed to realizing what was going on. Some raced towards it to try to beat it closed, while others clawed desperately at the ground as if just as terrified of going as they were of staying behind. Finally the last one fell in and Aurelius immediately dropped the flute on the ground, Andrew and Thomas triangulating it while the other four quickly took refuge behind shield.

Seeing what was going on below, Jennifer used her offhand to gesture and put shields around them as well while still maintaining her hold on the gate until it finally closed completely. Immediately she turned her attention to the three focused on the flute, closing one eye to carefully aim over the shields between and as she added her heightened spell to theirs.

Finally the flute cracked and the shattered into billions of shards that splayed out in different directions, the three near it taking the brunt of the cuts as they belatedly turned to protect themselves against the shrapnel. Suddenly the night seemed to grow dark and quiet, and Jennifer was curiously aware of the sound of her own breath and that of those around her. A heavy weight lifted off her head, leaving her feeling a tad disoriented, but before she had time to wonder about its significance, she felt something loosen and fall off her right hand, hitting the rocky ground she was standing on with an audible sound.

"It's off!" Jennifer said, laughing incredulously and picking it up, staring at it a second before looking down to where the others were busy hugging each other and laughing with relief and immediately began walking towards them.

"Wait, where do you think you're going? You have injuries to be tended, Jennifer…" Sagittari scolded her.

"Oh please, give me a break, Sagittari, you've seen ten times worse than this, and Farynor healed the worst wound I had anyhow. Besides, I have other priorities," Jennifer said, running down off the ridge.

"Other priorities?" Sagittari repeated disapprovingly.

"Family has always been Jennifer's first priority, Sagittari, you know that," Severus said distantly.

"I wouldn't have her any other way," Harry grinned.

"No, nor would I," Severus murmured softly. But Harry, standing next to him, had heard it just the same, and smiled to himself.

"It's off! It's off!" Jennifer shouted as she ran over and Thomas immediately picked up his daughter and swung her around like he had at times when she was little.

"About time that the Mallus Craw chapter was finally put to rest," Thomas said solemnly, wiping the blood off his face unconcernedly. "And hopefully for good this time."

"Well, it really hasn't been completely put to rest," Francis put in quietly, the others looking at his solemn face.

"The children," Alicia said, glancing over at her mother and grandfather. "The children of Hamlin."

"But perhaps this will make a difference?" Alex asked. "I mean, perhaps if they hear if that the flute is gone and it's finally over, perhaps they'll finally move on?"

"It's worth a shot," Jennifer agreed, glancing at Alicia. "Someone gather up some of the larger shards of the flute and let's go."

"Now?" Andrew asked.

"Father is right, it's time to put this thing to rest. Let's do it now," Jennifer said.

"Fine, but I'd like to stop and pick up Maurice for this part, if you don't mind," Thomas grunted.

"I think that's a splendid idea," Jennifer agreed with a smile.

"Hand me the key to Corey's, then," Francis said as Alicia sorted through her sketchbook and laid one down. Jennifer handed him over the key and he watched as they all joined hands, following Alicia in. Smiling softly, Francis watched them step out of view and rolled it up, disappearing to leave only three Sentinels and two familiars standing in their wake.

"Now where are they off to?" Sagittari sighed in annoyance.

"Knowing Jennifer, it could be absolutely anywhere," Harry grinned. "Although I get the feeling they won't be needing us anymore tonight, so I think I'd better head back to the office and brace Draco for the international nightmare we're going to be tackling in the morning when the Germans find out we've waged an interplanar war in their backyard."

"And I believe I'm going to stand at the castle gate and force every single one of those professors in my office whether they want tended or not," Sagittari said irritably. Severus stood quietly for a moment, staring out into the darkness at the very spot they had been standing before they left.

"I think I'm going to get a stiff drink," Severus said flatly, while Descartes rubbed his head against his shoulder comfortingly.

* * *

In the caves of Hamlin, Francis led the others past the excavation and through to the hidden tomb, the others following silent, somber, tired, and deep within their own thoughts as they filled into the room. Alicia stepped up beside them, feeling their presences around her as some of the others passed a translation potion around.

"Come out, dear ones, come out and see us, we bring friends," Francis coaxed in German.

"They are my family," Alicia added. "The entire family of Craws. We've come to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Catharina said from around them. "Where are you going?"

"It's not us that's going, Catharina," Francis said with a smile. "We're here you see you off."

"I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving Pyther," a young voice said, and everyone watched as a small girl suddenly materialized and went over to Francis. Francis knelt and she tried to hug him, her wispy form rather cold against his skin.

"Don't you want to see your own family, Gretta?" Francis asked. She slowly shook her head.

"I'm scared," Gretta said.

"There's no reason to be scared anymore, Gretta," Francis said with a smile, glancing at Jennifer who stepped up and held out the ring in her hand. Several others materialized, gathering around her.

"It's the scary ring," Catharina said.

"Yes, but it doesn't feel scary anymore," Johan said.

"The dark memories that were once in it have been released," Jennifer explained. "The stone is broken now, you see? It's nothing more than a simple ring that protects the wearer against sound spells."

"He wore it, you know. He wore that ring when he killed us," Johan said solemnly.

"Would it help if we destroyed it?" Jennifer asked. "Like we destroyed the flute?"

"The flute?" the children asked.

"The flute your parents were trying to keep from Mallus Craw," Jennifer explained. "It's gone now, gone for good. He can never get it. He's gone now too."

"Can we see it?" Johan said, and Thomas stepped up solemnly, setting down several of the shards for them to inspect.

"I think that was it," Catharina said slowly. "I think that was what they were trying to protect somehow. But why?"

"They were trying to keep Mallus from doing bad things," Alicia explained. "But he can't anymore. He's gone, his wand is gone, even his ghost is gone. And now his memories are gone, too!" she said, nodding to the ring again.

"Let's destroy it," Jennifer said decided. "It's no more than a protection ring now, it should be easy enough to do."

"Yes but no sound spells in here, please," Francis pleaded.

"I would never do that to them," Jennifer reassured him. "Heat will be enough this time, I think."

"Can I help?" Maurice asked out of the blue.

"As long as Dad thinks you can handle it," Jennifer said, smiling at him.

"This time you can help," Thomas agreed, standing next to his son with a hand on him as the rest made a circle around the ring. Alex and Alicia stepped back and watched as the others cast a simple heat spell on the ring, their faces growing warm as the ring turned redder and redder and then finally white, a strange silence falling over the room as it unleashed its magic. Finally, the sound began to return to normal and the metal cooled, leaving only a circular slug of metal.

Gazing at it thoughtfully for a moment, Jennifer made certain it had no magic residue on it, and then got an idea.

"I'd like you all to bear witness to me returning the ring to German soil, exactly where I found it," Jennifer said, chucking it in the tomb.

"Too bad we're all relative. I'm not sure it'll hold up," Andrew chuckled.

"If they dare question a licensed Truth Seeker, let alone a Minister of Law Enforcement, daughter or not, I'm leaving the Ministry," Thomas grunted in annoyance.

"There we are, children, now is that better?" Francis asked when he noticed they had gathered and were whispering among themselves.

"Promise to bury the cavern when we leave," Johan said, and Catharina nodded in agreement. "It is our grave too, after all."

"We will," Jennifer agreed, the others nodding as well.

"Come, Gretta, it is time we went to see your parents. I'm sure they miss you," Johan said, picking her up.

"I miss them too," Gretta agreed.

Francis and the Craws watched then as the older kids began taking the hands of the younger ones, the frailest and the lame, too busy caring for each other to pay any attention to the living that stood nearby, huddling closer and closer together as a group until finally they began to grow brighter and brighter until it was almost too bright too watch. Jennifer blinked only once to clear the light in her eyes as they began to drift upward and began to fade into nothingness. Tears poured down Francis and Alicia's cheeks, and Jennifer was stunned to realize she had been crying herself without even truly realizing it. Fleur was dobbing her own with a handkerchief, and Andrew was smiling through his, and Alex couldn't make up her mind if she wanted to cry or not. Even Thomas looked a bit glassy eyed from where he stood with a hand on Maurice's shoulder, but when he saw Jennifer gazing at him questioningly, he harrumphed.

"It's just the light," he said irritably.

"Of course, Dad," Jennifer grinned. "Come on, everyone, I think it's time to go home. After all, Aurelius has tests to give tomorrow." Aurelius stared at her.

"Did you have to remind me?" he complained, but she simply chuckled as they walked out of the cave to cast one last spell.


	43. Waterloo

A_/N First chapter of the day. For those not understanding Jennifer's P.O.V. on Free Will and all that yet (although there's more on that in the last chapter), try Yin and Yang. _

_Oh, and P.S. Please take the midlife joke at the end of the chapter with a grain of salt! (eg) Thanks, and enjoy! JC Writer_

Chapter Forty-Three

Waterloo

Severus had slept so long the next morning that when he had finally awoken he found a tray outside his door with his coffee, toast, paper and post, just like Rosmerta had done when he had first arrived.

Grateful for not having to go downstairs, and contemplating the thought of not emerging again for a few days, Severus pulled in the cart, wondering if anything that had occurred would have even made it to print yet. As the opened the paper, he shook his head. He should have known better, he thought, when he read the headline.

Sentinels of Magic Thwart a Major Unseelie Invasion

Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry, Harry Potter, has issued a statement that last evening while the majority of us were sleeping, a monumental attack was made against mankind in the form of a powerful Dark Fae, bent on unleashing the Horde of the Unseelie Court from the Otherworld into our midst. This Dark Fae is said to have disguised herself as a human for some time and had attracted the attention of one of the members of the Sentinels, (Severus winced at that) thereby beginning an investigation into her activities. Last night, the Sentinels succeeded in tracking her back to a remote location in the Alps, and with the help of Minister Thomas Craw and several of his family members, there for other reasons, were able to stave off the first wave of the attack long enough for the gate to be permanently resealed. The matter has now been handed over to the German Authorities, who, after inspecting casualties after the attack, confirm that the creatures did match the Sentinel's findings of being Dark Fae or lesser demons of the Unseelie Court, and have grudgingly acknowledged that the Sentinels had no choice but to put the matter down as quickly as possible and decided to 'let the matter go.'

"Other reasons?" Severus mused out loud as he read the part with Thomas again. But he simply had to search several articles down to find out.

Professor Jennifer Craw Snape, Headmaster pro tem, acquiesced to pressure by the German Ambassador to return a dark artifact once taken without the proper permits and has since returned it to German soil, as witnessed by her father, Minister Thomas Craw and son, Auror Aurelius Craw, who are said to have escorted her there along with other witnesses to 'end the matter once and for all.' Professor Craw had been under pressure by both the International Council and the current Hogwarts Board of Governors to release the ring, which had been in her care for nearly three decades. Upon questioning as to why she changed her stance on the matter, Professor Craw simply stated, 'I am no longer concerned about its safety, and I am sorry so many were troubled by its presence.'

Severus grunted softly at that, shaking his head as he read the two articles over. So it seemed that between Harry, Thomas, and Joanie's underhanded reporting, the situation would likely be diffused, he thought. At least that was something. After everything his family had been through lately, they truly needed a break without the entire world breathing down their neck. Of course, it wouldn't last, he mused. It never did. And Jennifer would more than likely find herself fighting with the board or in over her head with some problem…and probably even before they let out again for the summer. He sighed and glanced out the window. Spring was coming early this year. Perhaps he would take a walk or something. After all, he still had to figure out what he was going to do with his life.

He went over to Descartes, slipping on some special gloves before attempting to give him a good buff and polish and met with happily warbling and contented sighs as a result. He had been quite worried about the war bird after the battle, wondering if the bird had gone too far and would no longer be tame. But the moment they had gotten back, the Stymphalian had taken to his perch and stared intently at the fish barrels with such forlorn eyes that Severus finally opened a fresh one. Apparently Descartes preferred fish to demon, he mused, and for the bird's sake it was just as well.

All the same, he missed Rasputin terribly, and shook his head every time he thought of how badly he treated him, and how he should have been listening to him. Rasputin had been right to leave; Severus knew that now…he had been right to run home to Jennifer. Another pang of regret hit Severus and found himself being nudged by Descartes' bronze beak, although whether it was the bird's attempts at comforting his owner or just a protest that he had stopped polishing, Severus wasn't completely sure. Numbly, Severus finished up and was still putting the different polishes away when there was a knock on the door and Descartes began to caw out loudly and happily.

"Quiet, Descartes," Severus sighed, knowing who was at the door before he even opened it.

"Descartes says, 'I'm here,'" Alex said.

"Yes, so I noticed," Severus said, letting her in. "Have a seat, if you can find one you can get out of. You're coming along, aren't you? When are you due again?"

"Not soon enough," Alex joked, sitting by the table. "I still have six weeks before I have to hear you grumbling about having another grandchild again," she teased, but Severus' expression seemed quite grim. "Not to mention waiting for Mum to hit the roof if I have a boy… and I think it is. Daughters are too much trouble anyhow," Alex reasoned. "I mean, people tend to worry more about their daughters in general, and they're always into such trivial matters and gossiping and clothes and all that, not to mention how nosy they can be and always putting their noses in other's people's businesses," she said, glancing through the different pitchers on the table until she found the milk and poured some into a clean teacup.

"All right, Alex, what are you getting at?" Severus asked.

"You don't think I could just be here to visit?" Alex inquired.

"Not likely, no," Severus said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you something, that's all," Alex said.

"And?" Severus said impatiently.

"I wanted to know what it was that you were doing here," Alex said.

"Having breakfast, obviously," Severus said expressionlessly. Alex sighed.

"You know what I meant. And even if I had meant that, your toast is cold, your coffee is tepid, the milk is warm, the paper has been opened, and you smell like a House Elf."

"I was giving Descartes a bit of extra attention to make certain he was all right after last night, if you must know," Severus said defensively.

"Yes, he was brilliant last night, wasn't he?" Alex said smiling at the bird, who cawed in agreement. "Okay, so he got a little gory with the piercing his beak through some of those Fae's hearts there at the end, but he sure did make a big difference. We wouldn't have made it if Descartes, Farynor, and you three hadn't shown up."

"Obviously," Severus agreed expressionlessly. "However, considering my part in this mess, it was the least I could do." Alex smiled softly at that and nodded.

"So what are you plans now?" she asked. Severus took a sip of his coffee and then grimaced, realizing Alex was right in that it had grown cold and stale.

"I have no idea," Severus admitted.

"Well, what it is you want to do most?" Alex asked. Severus gazed into his coffee a moment and then set it aside.

"I have no idea," he sighed. "So if you're looking for answers, I suggest you wait until I find some."

"Fair enough," Alex said with a nod, sipping her milk. "I suppose you'll be looking for someone new, now?"

"I also learn from my own mistakes, thank you, no," Severus said flatly.

"So you'll be more cautious, but not all women out there are crazed sex fiends. At least, not that literally," Alex added mischievously while her father's expression revealed just how unimpressed he was with her attempt at humor.

"There is no one else, and there never can be anyone else, and if it's all the same to you, I'd very much like to drop the subject," Severus said firmly.

"Oh, all right, but I was getting ready to make a very important point," Alex said.

"I don't care what sort of point you want to make, I don't want to hear it," Severus said.

"No, I don't blame you," Alex decided in a tone that Severus decidedly didn't like. It sounded much too much like her mother's voice when she was up to something major. "Just as well, I suppose. Nobody else wanted to tell you either, at least not without Mum's blessing and all that, although I imagine Grandfather might someday, but you know how stubborn he could be, so at least I would have been willing to tell you... but since you don't want to know, it does save me a lot of trouble. Mum would probably kill me, after all, that is, if I told you without telling her I was going to tell you first, but since you won't let me tell you, then she doesn't have to know I even brought it up, and so I won't get into trouble, although you might if I don't tell you. But then that wouldn't be my responsibility anymore, would it, since I didn't tell you in the first place."

Severus stared at his daughter, having lost the point of the conversation somewhere around the middle.

"Alexandria, what the devil are you talking about?" Severus asked.

"But I can't tell you that! You told me not to!" Alex said with exasperation.

"Never mind that I told you not to tell me, just tell me and get it over with!" Severus said with frustration. Alex gazed at him searchingly while Severus was busy drumming his fingers on the table impatiently.

"Are you sure you want to hear it?" Alex asked cautiously.

"Quite certain," Severus said.

"Well, how can you know for certain you want to hear it until after you've heard it?" Alex wondered.

"Alexandria! I want to hear it simply to get you to stop talking about it!" Severus snapped.

"Oh. Well, forget it then," Alex said, turning to her milk. Severus squinted at her one last time before going over to his cloak and pulling out a phial of Veritaserum and descending on her, Alex quickly guessing what it was and getting up.

"Dad… you can't give that to a pregnant woman, you don't know what it'll do… it could give your grandchild a loose tongue or something."

"It couldn't get any looser than yours," Severus retorted.

"Then why are you threatening me with that?" Alex retorted. "You just be glad that I can't tell Mum that I told you enough that it made you want to threaten me to tell you, or she might be upset that you would threaten me at all."

"Last chance, Alex," Severus said, twisting the cap.

"Fine," Alex sighed. "Father, I think you really ought to know that you're not divorced." Severus stared at her a moment, glanced at the bottle in his hand then twisted the cap further. "There's no need for that! All you have to do is check the Archives if you don't believe me! Divorce papers are part of public records, and I guarantee you they're not there! When Grandfather told Mum about the papers, she didn't believe you signed them willingly. She told grandfather that she'd rather die married than be divorced no matter what you did. So right now, legally at least, you're still married."

Severus gazed steadily at her for a long time before finally putting the bottle on the table and walking over to get his cloak.

"Do you still have a Ministry key?" he asked.

"Only to the reception area…"

"Fine, we're going," Severus said. Alex blinked at him.

"Right now?"

"Right now," he agreed, and led her out.

Without a word he strode past Penelope who simply watched them with curiosity as they made their way towards the stairs, Alex not even daring suggest the lifts. Severus wanted the direct route. He didn't even glance at Plumeria sitting at her desk, turning sharply to the records in the front of the archives and straight over to the 'S' section while Alex, who had finally caught up, simply leaned on the door and watched him from there.

"Anything I can help you with?" Plumeria Plum asked, looking between them speculatively, but Severus had already found his file.

"Minister, how often is marital status of living residents updated on these sheets?" Severus asked.

"Immediately upon signing the paperwork if they're in Ministry jurisdiction and on properly charmed legal paper," Plumeria said evenly, but her there was a glint of curiosity behind her spectacles. "Why, is there an unexpected change on yours?"

"No," Severus said flatly, putting it back and striding out without another word, Alex shrugging noncommittally to Plumeria before following behind.

"You're walking too fast," Alex complained. "Now where are we going?"

"To have a word with your Grandfather," Severus said curtly.

"You're going to get me into trouble," Alex said with a sigh, but at least he took the door lift this time. Agents and Enforcers glanced up thoughtfully but knew better than to get into Snape's way when he was bearing down on someone… too many encounters in the halls of Hogwarts had cured them all of that. The door of the office was open and he strode right up to the desk, while Alex peeked in more reluctant to go into where Thomas was attempting to get caught up on his paperwork.

"Morning, Severus," Thomas said unconcernedly. "Saw the papers, did you?"

"Yes, although that's hardly why I'm here," Severus said. "Am I to understand that after everything that has happened and for God knows what reason that Jennifer refused to sign our divorce papers?" Thomas' shoulders slumped in exasperation and his eyes went straight to Alex who grimaced slightly and shut the door.

"Couldn't keep your big mouth shut, could you?" Thomas said bluntly. "What else have you told him?"

"Nothing, that's as far as I got," Alex admitted.

"Good. Sit down here where I can keep an eye on you, and don't plan on leaving it for the rest of the day," Thomas said

"What else about this don't I know?" Severus demanded, but Thomas simply gazed at him fixedly. "Would you at least tell me why it was that no one bothered to inform me of this?"

"Would it have changed anything?" Thomas asked bluntly.

"Yes, actually, perhaps it might have, yes!" Severus snapped.

"Then you just got your answer," Thomas said evenly, glancing back at his paperwork, while Severus looked confused.

"Mum made us promise to let you make your own decisions," Alex explained, "and she didn't want her own decisions to influence yours in any way."

"Why do people keep telling me that?" Severus wondered.

"Why do you keep refusing to listen?" Thomas asked calmly.

"Because it doesn't make any sense! If she wanted me to be free to make my own decisions, why would she refuse a divorce?" Severus asked.

"Why in the hell are you asking me instead of her?" Thomas retorted. "Obviously I couldn't get her to sign the papers. If you want a divorce, you're going to have to ask her yourself."

"I don't want a divorce!" Severus snapped.

"All the more reason for you to talk to her about it before she changes her mind," Thomas shrugged. "Now, get out and fix your own problems for a change! Haven't we done enough to cover your ass lately? I've got enough on my plate. At least I would if I had a plate. What do you want for lunch, Alex? And don't you dare signal any of the paintings," he grunted at her, ignoring Severus completely.

Severus wandered out of the office, feeling even more uncertain of himself than he had when he woke up that morning. How could he possibly go to her now, after everything he had done? Not to mention after leaving the school, and she being Headmaster, what life could they possibly have with her being there all the time?

Suddenly he got an idea that stopped him in his tracks, and idea that the more the thought of it, the more he liked it. He could go back to what he had felt he had been missing out all of those years as Headmaster… back to what he had been doing before… the job he missed from the moment he left it…

Before he knew it, he found himself striding down the halls of the Ministry with a new purpose in mind, and then hurried to the London Owl Post Office to send a quick owl, glancing at his watch. He found himself mesmerized by it; studying each hand of his family members and found himself imagining them in the places they were pointed, from Alex still in the Ministry to Alicia in Hogsmeade…probably at her new studio, painting contentedly. Corey was at his shop, busily and happily working at the potions he had grown to love since his own school years… Aurelius, in his last class before lunch and probably torturing his students with formulas, while Andrew, who had never wanted to be anything but a teacher, was in Transfiguration with Lucky, who probably wanted to be anywhere but there. A hand began to move, and he watched with fascination as Jennifer's hand moved from the Headmaster's Study to the Perch…the parapets near the Owlery where they had spent so many quiet hours together through the best and worst of times…even the night that time stood on the brink, and even Severus doubted that he would ever stand upon those parapets again.

"Excuse me sir, your reply," the assistant Postmaster said, handing him a small note.

"Thank you, Dennis," Severus said, glancing it over and then briskly walking back out and down the street again.

As usual, the Leaky Cauldron was packed for lunch, but Erik Dalance had already arrived and had found a small corner table, smiling at him warmly as he came in.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice," Severus said, sitting down, a glass of anise wine already waiting for him.

"No trouble at all, I was already planning to head out for lunch today. Tonks wanted to visit someone in the Tower. What is it with Aurors always having friends among the criminals?" Erik chuckled.

"Yes, it does seem they all have one or two, don't they?" Severus said, sipping the wine but looking at the stew with more skepticism as to what exactly was in it.

"So, does any of this have anything to do with that business in the paper? Or perhaps whatever it is that really happened out there?" Erik prodded knowingly.

"No… no, at least… well, not really," Severus said thoughtfully. "Actually, I rather wanted to get your opinion of what you thought about the idea of my teaching again."

"In a regular classroom?" Erik asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, what else?" Severus shrugged.

"Well, I personally don't have a problem with it as long as you don't believe it'll leave you strapped for time, Severus," Erik said.

"I have plenty of time," Severus said dryly.

"Thinking of teaching perhaps a course in Ancient Magic then?" Erik asked. Severus blinked in surprise.

"I hadn't thought of that specifically, honestly, I was simply asking in general, although the idea is intriguing if such a thing would get past the board…"

"Easily, I should think. Even Norman wouldn't have any objections to that being added," Erik said.

"I couldn't care less what he's thinks of it, really, he isn't exactly in favor with me at the moment," Severus said tersely, and Erik nodded with understanding.

"No, I suppose not. He's not exactly in my good books either," Erik agreed. "Especially with what he pulled on Jennifer. What does she think about your taking on a class or two?"

"I haven't asked her, actually," Severus said slowly.

"Might be a good idea, don't you think? Considering it'll obviously cut in on your spare time if you decide to do it," Erik said, Severus gazing at him with a frown. "But, if it'll help you deal with the tedious day-to-day grind of administration, I'm all for it. Especially if that will entice you to coming off your leave of absence sooner," he added in a low voice. Severus stared at him openly. "Yes, Severus, I know it's only been ten weeks and you can't possibly have your research anywhere near completed, but you could come back for your wife's sake. To be perfectly frank, I am more than a bit worried about what Norman's going to pull at the next board meeting after what happened the other day with the ring business and your familiar, and the fact that the German Ambassador won't answer his questions on whatever it was that happened last night has got him frothing like a mad dragon. As brilliant as your wife has been at filling in, I'm not certain she's going to be fully prepared for whatever it is Norman has up his sleeve this time. Won't you consider holding the research matter off until the summer?" Severus gazed at him steadily for a long time, Erik meeting his gaze evenly.

"How soon did you want me back?" Severus inquired almost casually.

* * *

Jennifer glanced up when she heard the violin to see the painting shaking his head at her.

"Why don't I ever use my lunchtime to eat?" Jennifer repeated, munching on a handful of candy. "Well, I haven't since I started teaching here, Severus, do you honestly believe I'd start now? Besides, I needed some time to think," she admitted with a sigh. "It seems so strange to be at work today after the night we had last night. At least everyone is back safe and sound now," she sighed. "Even Severus, although that must have been so hard for him last night, watching her turn into that thing. I hope he's all right," she murmured, glancing at her ring distractedly.

That was when she found herself staring at it in confusion. For even when the rings had repaired themselves last night, hers, although it no longer had the slightest crack, had remained as colorless as it had been before. But now there could not be mistaking the vibrant blue color with a hint of green around the edges. It had been a long time since she had seen such brilliant color from that ring, but before she could wonder too long about it, the appointment book snapped open, and with unusual flourish wrote on the twelve-thirty line: _Brief Headmaster Snape on School Affairs Upon Arrival._

"He's coming home," Jennifer said incredulously, glancing at her ring, the book and then the portrait who was peering to try to read the appointment book himself. "I don't believe it! He's coming home!" she said in relief and elation, hurrying for the doors with full intention of running out to the gates to meet him when suddenly she heard a shrill violin note, stopping her in her tracks.

"Caution? What do you mean caution? Aren't you glad he's back?" Jennifer asked with exasperation, as the painting firmly tried to calm her down. "Remember my first night at my Father's farm? What does that have to do with anything?" she said impatiently, but the portrait was unusually stern. "Well, of course, I want to do the right thing for Severus, that's all I've wanted the entire time! But I miss him terribly, too…" she said, the firm expression never changing. "Fine, fine, just like Father did then. No questions, no prying, just acceptance until he's ready. But I hope you realize that's not going to be easy, especially after breaking my glasses last night," Jennifer said, walking back over to the desk to try and get everything in order and trying to catch her heart out of her throat when she noticed him coming up the stairs on the map.

Quickly she folded it and put it away, dutifully getting her journal up to date and glancing over the last few pages to make certain she had included everything important. Of course she hadn't really brought it up to date on last night's events, she mused, but then, perhaps it was best if he put that one in himself.

She was just putting the last of the chocolates and tablets onto a saucer so the candy dish would fill up with licorice that there was a timid yet unmistakable knock on the door. She waved the door open to see him standing there looking nearly as uneasy as the night he proposed.

"Oh, there you are, I thought you'd never get here," Jennifer said, Severus blinking in surprise. "I just finished getting the journal up to date…I think you'll find everything in order. Nothing impending of note, really, although football and Quidditch practice resume normal schedules starting this weekend, and unfortunately a board meeting from hell is coming up next week. I rather wanted to see if they'd approve the Haven's Ridge school as one of the possible places to set up pen pals too along with a goblin accounting school, but…things being as they are, we probably should hold off on that," Jennifer admitted. Severus simply stared at her, wondering if she were quite mad. Jennifer intentionally ignored the thought.

"The door in the back is to my sitting room at the moment, so I suppose we'll need to move doors around again, but I should go pop down and let Hermione know you're back while she's still on conference time anyhow. Let me go take care of that and see if she has any of those documents for the board done real quick…actually, and I should have a word with Aurelius as well, since I'm going to need to get reacquainted with what my students are working on, but I'll be back in half an hour at the most…that is, if you ever come in out of the doorway," Jennifer said, shaking her head at him with a warm smile before taking a small painting of a violin off the wall.

"I do have one question," Severus said, stepping only slightly to one side, but not enough that she could get by without bumping into him. "You see, I've heard some very remarkable things today, some from Erik and some from Alex and your father. But I admit I'm wondering most about someone telling me that you refused to sign divorce papers on pain of death."

"That wasn't exactly what I said," Jennifer said softly. "Yes, perhaps that was part of it, but what I truly told Dad was that I refused to sign those papers unless you came to me yourself and looked me straight in the eye with your silly mental blocks down and tell me that's what you truly want. Is that what you want, Severus?" Jennifer asked with a serious expression.

"Actually, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not, really," Severus admitted quietly, watching as she nodded thoughtfully.

"Certain that's your decision?" she asked with a serious expression.

"Yes," he murmured.

"Well, just let me know if you ever change your mind, because I'm quite sure Dad will have it on hand if need be," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile that made Severus blink. "Anyhow, I had better get this work done so you can take over. You should think about having dinner in the Great Hall tonight, too. Everyone's going to want to see you, you know. Let me know if you need me to arrange a staff meeting or something. Really, Severus, aren't you ever going to sit down?" she asked with exasperation as she slipped past him and down the spiral stairs, leaving him to gape after her as she turned down the hall.

"I cannot figure her out," Severus murmured to himself. "She baffles me to no end, and if we lived to be five hundred…if we lived to be Merlin's age, I swear there will still be times when I just won't be able to figure that woman out," he said with exasperation. But curiously enough, there was something about that fact that seemed quite comforting somehow. Reluctantly, Severus went over to his desk and sat down, staring at the candy sitting next to his dish of licorice and immediately began to wonder if the half an hour he had to spend without her would ever come to an end.

Jennifer smiled broadly, hugging the small painting close as she wandered through the halls as if in a daze, feeling as if she had just woken up after a particularly nasty dream to a bright, sunny morning and a gentle dew-kissed breeze drifting in from her window. She noticed movement from the corner of her eye and saw that the portrait had joined her, watching her silently with a tired but rather content expression.

"Oh it's you, of course. Abandoned him already?" Jennifer tsked, and then smiled warmly at the painting's thought when he shrugged. "You're right, he can take care of himself now. Oh, Severus, there truly…truly are no words big enough to express how grateful I am for all you've done for us these last few months. You have been such an anchor in a hurricane for me," she said sincerely, but he simply stopped and shook his head, giving her a thin smile and gestured, knowing she would read his thoughts behind it. _I am nothing but an image; a reflection of his love for you._

"Perhaps that's true," Jennifer said with a soft smile. "But as such, you will always mean more to me than just an image. And you know, I find it awfully, awfully comforting to know that if there ever did come a day when Severus and I choose to leave the school for its progress and ours, you will always be here with those newfound painting powers of yours to come to the rescue of students and staff alike who might need the special sort of teaching of Severus Snape. And Jennifer also?" she inquired when he added her name with a nod. "As if I didn't know that portrait hasn't been asleep all the while this has been going on, both to spare her of what was going on and so you could pay attention to me, no doubt," Jennifer said, but a thin sinister smile crept on his face. "My image helped nonetheless? Well, if you say so, Severus," Jennifer chuckled at him. "But perhaps now this is finally over, you could wake her up again." The portrait instantly agreed that it did seem to be a good idea, and Jennifer sighed happily and smiled again as she continued down to put the violin painting in her office next to where Severus' portrait would undoubtedly return.

Upstairs, Severus glanced at his watch and the map, frowning as she paused in the stairwell, apparently deciding to take her time for a change. He sighed in resignation, wondering if she were intentionally doing that to give him time for it to truly sink in that he was back. He heard a noise then and looked around to see Rasputin's nose peeking in from the curtain over the sitting room door.

"You're home," Rasputin hissed.

"Yes, home where I belong," Severus hissed back.

"Let's stay this time," Rasputin suggested.

"I believe I'm going to do the smart thing and listen to you, as I should have done from the beginning," Severus said sincerely, leaning down to pet his old friend when the basilisk came over to him.

"Can I have a mouse?" Rasputin inquired after getting an obviously apologetic sort of head scratch from his master.

"After all you've been through, you can have an elephant," Severus hissed. Rasputin grew quiet as he thought it over.

"I don't think I could eat all that," Rasputin finally decided.

Severus' lip twitched at his reaction, turning back around and taking out his coin pouch so he could sit more comfortably.

He paused and glanced at it thoughtfully before getting in the side pocket, carefully padded to protect the thin chocolate frog card he kept there, and gazed at his first edition Jennifer Craw. The image on the card gazed back at him, and he blinked in complete surprise to see the same enigmatic smile on her face that present Jennifer had been wearing of late. Winking at him mischievously, the image settled back into her normal pose, her smile broadening to one of complete contentment.

* * *

The students, at first, didn't seem to know anything was up; too busy pondering the articles in the _Daily Prophet _at lunchand wondering what they meant to tell that anything had happened. It wasn't until the afternoon classes that they began to notice a change in many of their professors. It seemed to have begun in Potions, where Professor Aurelius had stood up in a middle of test to watch Professor Craw walk across the room into his office. A mysterious smile crept across her face as they exchanged thoughts, and as she passed through the door, a sudden relief went across Aurelius' own face and his shoulders relaxed.

"Eyes on your papers," Aurelius said, but his voice didn't seem to have the same bite for some reason. Wondering what had just occurred, they glanced at each other before finally returning to their tests, but Aurelius didn't say a single word about the exchange.

In Charms, Laura and Dale blinked in complete surprise when Hermione walked in with a glowing smile as wide as a cat who ate the canary, half wondering if they weren't in for a serious reading assignment.

In Transfiguration, Andrew paused in the middle of a lecture and stared above the door of his class to see the Jennifer and Severus portraits holding each other close in the parapet painting. Blinking in surprise, he quickly raised his voice to keep the curious first years from turning to look behind them, unable to keep himself from looking up from time to see what they were up to until finally he stopped cold and gaped as a wicked grin appeared on the Severus' portrait's face and he pounced, dragging Jennifer's portrait out of view. Unable to contain themselves any longer, Beth and Veronica turned to see what he was looking up at, but seeing only an empty parapet painting, they shrugged at each other and turned back towards the front where their teacher, looking a little unsteady, decided to pause for a drink of water.

In Divination, Ambrose kept feeling like he was missing something quite profound, slurping his tea just to get it out of the way, wishing he had had a free period with the rest of the Hufflepuffs so he could find out what was going on. Even Icarus seemed to pause every now and then as if listening to something…in fact, it was almost as if he were attempting to listen to the castle itself. As Ambrose pondered that, he glanced down at his tea leaves, nearly jumping out of his seat when he saw the images of a bat and a basilisk, and then grabbed the cup out of Cindy's hand to the unmistakable image of a lion and a scorpion, then grabbed the cup from the student on the other side of him, ignoring the protests as he gaped at the dove with an olive branch sitting on the top of a dragon's head.

"Having some astounding observations, Mr. Bailey?" Professor Ravenclaw inquired thoughtfully.

"Yes, Professor," Ambrose said with a smile of relief. "He's back."

"Who?" Cindy asked curiously as Icarus began to inspect the teacups himself and then nodded.

"Quite correct," Ravenclaw decided. "He is back."

"Who?" Cindy said again, staring at in her own cup at the scorpion and lion curiously.

"Now, now, we must all make our own observations," he chided her and began floating around the classroom, knowing full well he wasn't likely to get anything more out of Ambrose for the rest of the session.

In History, Lucky had been about to dose off when Connie's elbow bumped against her, waking up to see her making gestures to a painting of Corey on the wall. Suddenly Sally Scribe noticed it and blinked, jumping up and immediately turning to the painting.

"Mr. Willowby! How dare you interrupt one of my classes!" Scribe said indignantly.

"They were all falling asleep anyhow, history is so boring!" Corey protested, and Lucky and some of the other students snickered.

"That will do, Mr. Willowby. Ten points off Gryffindor for gossiping with a painting during a test, Miss Weasley," she said, Connie lowering her head a bit guiltily. "And if you don't stay out of my classroom and head back up to your painting at once, Mr. Willowby, I will take it up with the Headmaster."

"He's not going to care! He owes me one!" Corey snorted.

"She, Mr. Willowby."

"No, he and in h-e, as in Snape, as in well why in the heck do you think I was interrupting your class anyhow?" Corey said with exasperation, Lucky blinking. "Honestly, can't I try and get a simply private message my little sister without telling the entire school? Oh well, it's not like you wouldn't have found out at dinner anyhow. Headmaster Snape is back!" The entire class erupted in chatter at once, but apparently, Professor Scribe no longer cared, looking first stunned and then happy and then stunned again.

"Oh, fine! You all passed, class dismissed! I need to get ready for dinner," Sally decided, taking only a moment to gather their papers onto her desk before walking out of the classroom.

When Jennifer returned after her errand, unaware of the domino effect that had ensued behind her, Severus' eyes were intently upon her from the moment she arrived. He watched every move in a way he hadn't done since just after they were married, and humbly and unquestioningly followed her lead as she went over what the school had been doing in his absence.

The mental blocks he had put up at the beginning of the year were completely gone now, as well as some that had built up over the years that Jennifer hadn't been even aware they had been there until that moment. And behind those dutiful attempts to get back into the swing of things, Jennifer couldn't help but notice how terrified he was of those blocks not being there; terrified of what she might see and how she might view him for it, but just as terrified of the thought of closing her off again. In many ways, he was just as unsure of himself as when he had first left, but now he felt as if he had been stripped and left raw on many different levels. And yet here he was, vulnerable and bracing himself for whatever punishment had been due, undoubtedly deserved, and was met only with her soft, caring voice.

With all she had done and suffered for him in the past few months, he knew the instant she spoke that complete and unconditional surrender was the only viable option; an option he readily and unquestionably accepted. There were still a lot of decisions for him to make to truly move forward out of what he had been going through; but never would he allow himself to make those decisions without her influence again. And yet that didn't block his options… not truly… it simply enhanced them; making each one more important, more meaningful. Somehow, in that brief afternoon of listening to her enthusiastically trying to get him caught up as if he had simply taken a holiday, he had realized that his life still had endless adventures and possibilities left to explore; and his long existence, cursed so vehemently just months before, was nothing short of a gift of the most supreme order. Any price he had to pay in service and duty in his life was nothing compared to the thought of the years he could now spend gazing into those green eyes of hers. Her eyes blinked at him.

"Severus, you're not paying attention to what I'm saying anymore," Jennifer said softly, a rather pleasant rush of color in her cheeks.

"I'm terribly sorry, Jennifer," Severus said quietly.

"That's all right, it's nearly time for dinner anyhow," she said getting up, but he grabbed her hand and stepped up to her.

"That isn't what I meant," he said, gazing at her intently. "I meant that I'm truly terribly sorry."

"Severus," Jennifer murmured, smiling softly. "I forgave you for that the night you left."

"You didn't know about that foolish business with Samira until Yule," Severus said knowingly, Jennifer's smile fading into a serious expression.

"That wasn't entirely your fault, Severus."

"It was entirely my fault," Severus sighed, kissing her hand. "I had sensed something wasn't right from the beginning, only to allow myself to be baited by her later. If I had only had the courage to have even mentioned her to you from the start it would have undoubtedly led to her being found out sooner and saved you from what that must have put you through. It chills me to think how close I came to doing something irreparable…"

"Some part of you still loved me, Severus," Jennifer murmured.

"That only makes it worse," Severus said, shaking his head. "I've always known I was my own worst enemy, but I swear this time beats all. And yet somehow you've defeated me… even the worst part of me… simply by being at your best. How could I possibly expect you to ever forgive me for something when I know that I'll never be able to forgive myself for it?"

"Don't worry, Severus, if it comes to that, I have enough forgiveness for both of us," Jennifer whispered with a loving smile. "Just promise to make your own decisions because you want to, and not because you owe it to someone or feel that your were forced into it, Severus. And promise me you'll be up front with me if you ever feel trapped by our marriage again…"

"Never again, Jennifer," Severus said emphatically, raising her chin so she could see all the thoughts and emotions behind his words. "Never, ever, again. You are by far the best decision I have ever made in my entire life, and there will never be any greater."

"As you were mine, Severus," Jennifer said happily, offering him a kiss. She found herself completely overwhelmed by his passionate response, being drawn into his arms and wishing the moment could last forever. But then she felt something on her face that startled her so much she broke off in surprise and alarm, gazing at his face. "Oh, no, Severus! Tears from you? That will never do. You're going to break my heart all over again doing that!" Jennifer protested, kissing them away.

"That is by far the last thing I want," Severus said seriously.

"Well then stop already, all I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, you know," she chided, getting out a handkerchief.

"All I want is you," Severus said, catching her hand in the attempt of brushing off his face. "I would have come back crawling on my hands and knees and begging for forgiveness had you asked it of me."

"Now, that I most definitely will not have," Jennifer said in a firm tone that breached no argument. "Severus Snape does not crawl or kneel to anyone. Not even his wife. Now, no more nonsense," she scolded him, sticking her handkerchief in his pocket, while Severus gazed at her even more intently.

"How is it that any time I feel it couldn't be possible to love you any more than I already do, you always have to say something like that which proves me wrong?" Severus murmured.

"Well, I never said anything about not keeping you on your toes, Severus," Jennifer said with a flirtatious smile. "Really, Severus, oughtn't we go to dinner? I imagine everyone's wondering where we are by now."

"Unlikely at best, Aurelius and Hermione are the only ones who even know I'm back yet," Severus said, taking her arm and leading her out, skipping to the main floor and leading her down the corridor with no inclinations whatsoever to let her have her arm back, even when they got to the back door of the Great Hall. "No, not this time," Severus said firmly when he felt her arm slip away, firmly stopping her with his other hand. "There is no way I can go in there now without you firmly by my side. I wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for you, and I dare anyone to say anything about it."

"You're the Headmaster, who's going to say anything?" Jennifer smiled at him, gazing at him adoringly as he opened the door. A strong sweet smell immediately wafted out of the room as he opened it. "What on earth is that?" Jennifer asked.

"Just insurance, Jennifer…in case I hadn't found the courage to tell you what was on my mind by the time dinner rolled around," Severus explained, leading her in.

She stared agape at the walls and tables full of nearly a thousand deep red roses and twice that or more purple hyacinths, and then Jennifer leaned lovingly against Severus arm as they walked over towards the table and a roar of applause broke out from both the students and faculty alike, many…especially Anna, Hermione, and Francis with big tears in their eyes as the two of them stepped up to their chairs; fifteen of the roses laying across Jennifer's plate specifically.

"I would have made you Alchemist Roses, Jennifer, but you only gave me a half an hour, and I simply didn't have time," Severus explained, Jennifer laughing in response.

"A half an hour was plenty from the looks of things," she said, tolerantly allowing him to seat her and drawing the roses onto her lap with a smile. "My goodness, it seems everyone is here tonight!"

"You didn't think you were going to keep this quiet, did you?" Hermione grinned at them. "By the way, I think Sally had something planned before dinner, didn't you, Sally?"

"As a matter of fact," Sally said with a smile, making a hand gesture.

As the choir stood and gathered, Jennifer frowned slightly, knowing full well they were planning on singing the school song and not knowing what to expect. She felt a hand on hers and glanced over to see Severus gazing at her thoughtfully, having instantly caught her change in expression. Blushing a bit at how intensely he must have been watching her to catch it, Jennifer looked back over to see the choir grinning nervously at them, although Ambrose and Dale both had on wider smiles than most of them as Sally called them to order.

As the sweet, flowing melody emerged, Jennifer, who had been holding her breath, immediately exhaled and relaxed, a glowing, beatific smile emerging from beneath before glancing over at Severus searchingly, an almost imperceptible smile on his own lip when he realized she heard it too. In fact, it was rather hard to imagine that anyone else couldn't hear the song the way they had, so when _Hogwarts Forever_ ended and she began clapping with open enthusiasm, nearly all of the students and a fair number of the staff stared at her like she was completely insane, while Hermione grinned widely, nodding to herself in satisfaction.

With a simple hand movement, Severus gestured for dinner to begin, the staff chuckling instantly when they found that all of Jennifer's favorite foods had been included; from fried snails to baked fish to baklava and pumpkin butter sandwiches and warm pita bread stuffed with olives and goat cheese.

"As if the nine hundred and ninety-nine roses weren't a bit much already," Danny grinned, and Aurelius nodded to her in agreement.

"If this keeps up, someone is going to be spoiled, spoiled, spoiled," Aurelius commented.

"Just getting started, actually," Severus said casually.

"That's what we were afraid of," Anna put in, glancing at her plate. "And since when does anyone mix pita and pumpkin butter?"

"Lucky doesn't seem to mind it," Jennifer commented, gesturing down to one end of the table where Connie was watching unsurely as Lucky cut her fish in half and stuffed half of it in the pita sandwich.

"I think Lucky is just glad to have her family back again," Andrew said with a smile, Danny nodding to him in agreement.

"I can hardly blame her," Severus nodded. "I know I for one am glad to have my family back."

"You never lost yours," Jennifer assured him with a smile.

"And she never lost hers," Severus said, and Jennifer nodded at that, and he noticed that unfamiliar smile reemerging on her face.

"So you don't mind, anymore, then? About having a big family and all?" Jennifer asked.

"Not one of them was a one-sided decision, Jennifer," Severus said evenly.

"Even considering all the grandchildren that's bound to come through here because of us having a large family?" Jennifer pressed, Francis glancing sideways towards her, wondering what she was up to.

"There is not one grandchild yet we've had that I'd give up, Jennifer, nor would I ever want to deny any child of mine to be a parent if that is what they wanted," Severus said firmly, although he was beginning to wonder where this conversation was going himself.

"Do you like being a parent, Severus?" Jennifer said so intently, that nearly every staff member in hearing range was listening in now. Severus glanced over at Andrew and Aurelius unsurely, seeing both of them watching him as well, so decided to go against his instincts and answer anyhow.

"Except for the occasional battle scar now and again, I'd say overall parenting has been agreeable, yes, I think that would be obvious," he said, watching as Lucky tried to convince Connie to try her pita sandwich.

"Well, in that case, can we have another?" Jennifer asked with an intense and very serious expression. Andrew suddenly choked on his snails, and had to get spelled in the back by Aurelius to be free of it. Other than that movement, the staff table had gone dead silent. Even at the tables below, the students began looking up curiously, wondering why all the staff was staring at Jennifer in shock, despite the fact she seemed to have her full attention on Severus. "Because I heard there might still be a way," she added when he saw he was too busy gauging whether or not she was being serious to defend himself against the question.

"Hear that?" Pomona said from where she sat beside Anna, her voice carrying well over the still dumbfounded table. "I swear I just heard the ticking of a clock just now. Tick…tick…tick," she said with a warning nod.

"I think everyone at the table heard it," Anna said, gazing at Jennifer who didn't look as if she were planning to back away from the question any time soon. "Duck and cover, brother dear, before your wife gets even with you for what you just did to her."

"Don't say anything, Andrew, don't say a single word," Aurelius warned him when it looked as if Andrew was going to comment. Suddenly deciding that his son had the right idea, Severus merely kissed her hand and concentrated on his dinner, and Hermione, who had been planning on tactfully asking the two of them how they wanted their rooms arranged, decided not to bother.


	44. Of Fate and Free Will

_A/N Second Chapter of the day, and last chapter of the book. More notes at the end, thanks for reading! JCWriter_

Chapter Forty-Four

Of Fate and Free-Will

Spring was definitely in the air by the next Hogsmeade trip, and Jennifer decided to head over early to take care of some errands. She knew what her first stop would be. She even had an inkling he would have opened, if just to see her. Sure enough, Jennifer gazed over at Toby's Trinkets with the door that had a sign that read: _Open Early for Beautiful and Brave Women._

"Ah, there you are, Jennifer!" Toby said with a smile. "About time you got here. Ashley has been over here twice this morning already," he added with a mischievous twinkle.

"She is definitely both brave and beautiful," Jennifer grinned, stepping up to the counter.

"So she is, and so are you, and perhaps you're finally starting to realize that," Toby winked.

"Well, maybe I would, if Severus ever let me down off the pedestal he's been keeping me on lately," Jennifer chuckled softly.

"Now, now, let the boy grovel a bit if he likes, Jennifer, it builds character," he said with a sparkle in his eyes that make Jennifer shake her head at him with a smile. "And what might I do for you today?"

"Actually, I broke my spectacles and I was wondering if I could get another pair," Jennifer admitted.

"Ah yes! Did you retrieve the frames at least? Oh, someone did I see, thank you," he said when she handed the bent frames over to him. "I do happen to have another pair ready for you, Jennifer, but I really can't in good conscience sell you another pair until you and I have had a little talk about them," Toby said, putting away the frames and getting out another case. "I thought you might be curious as to how they're made."

"I suppose, but then I'm curious about how half the things in this shop are made," Jennifer admitted with a grin.

"Well, this time I think I owe you the explanation," Toby admitted with a smile, getting out the new pair. "You see, the frames themselves are an alloy of my own; mostly earthly metals, but I added just a touch of one metal from my own world that many of the good fae use in jewelry for meditations as a focus device…rather like some humans use or attempt to use crystals. Anyhow, the alloy helps focus one's telepathic abilities…like reading glasses for the psychic eye, if you will…a slight enhancement, really, anyone with any sort of telepathic talent could benefit from them. For you, it simply heightens your Truth Seeking somewhat."

"Makes sense," Jennifer said with a nod.

"The lenses, however, are another thing entirely," Toby said, looking slightly apologetic. "It's true that they're glass, tinted, and have an excellent UV/UB rating, but if you must know, I bought them out of a common Muggle gift shop for about fifteen quid…found a shape I liked, popped the lenses out and molded them around the frames I made."

"What?" Jennifer said, staring at him.

"They're sunglasses, Jennifer," Toby said simply, and she shook her head, not understanding. "Training wheels for your talents. Nothing more."

"Are you trying to tell me that these didn't really do anything?" Jennifer asked carefully, and Toby smiled.

"I think you're finally catching on," Toby winked. "The fact of the matter is, I told you a bit of a fib when I sold them to you, hoping that you would take the suggestion that you could block incoming and outgoing thoughts just by deciding when to look through them and when to protect yourself. The fact of the matter is, the reason that it worked was simply that you _believed_ it would work. But it was your talent actually doing it; your inborn talents of Truth Seeking. When you were little, you were trained by your mother to open up to all those Truth Seeking impulses, and she taught you when to ignore them, but not how truly to block them because early on in life it was important not to hamper those natural abilities…but being able to block thought should come nearly as easy as picking them up…like in your son. Your son never had that training, and he chose to block everything rather than deal with it. And although obviously his ability to protect others as well I think did come from his father, a great deal of that blocking ability also came from you. Your inability to lie simply comes from the guilt you and all Truth Seekers feel having to do so, but I was hoping that the rose-colored confidence you'd get knowing your thoughts were protected would teach you how to lie honestly, and damned if it didn't do just that."

Jennifer stared at him unsurely and then put them on, pushing them all the way up on her face before glancing in her pocket mirror and then sliding them back down again.

"If I am doing it…I'm not quite sure how I'm doing it," Jennifer admitted.

"Perhaps, but you are doing it, Jennifer," Toby said with a smile. "In fact, now that you've trained yourselves to spectacles, practically any pair would work more than likely, although as I said before, there is a little bit of a boost in the frames to focus your ability, but even that is merely working on what you already have. That said, you're more than welcome to buy them if you like."

"I think I would want them just so I can try to figure out how exactly my mind is doing what it's doing. Perhaps I can learn the difference without them…although really, to be frank… I like rather like how I look with them on, especially with this hairstyle," she decided, gazing herself in the mirror again, while Toby chuckled.

"I'd accept buying a pair of sunglasses because you like the way you look in them a very reasonable answer," he smiled. "As is the reason of getting them because it's easier for you to consciously be aware of when you're blocking and when you're not, as long as you accept it's you who were doing it."

"I do now," Jennifer smiled, getting out some coins and putting them in the jar. "I don't suppose you'd let me ask you about something now that we're done with that?"

"I don't suppose you'll know until you try," he chuckled.

"It's about the diamonds. I think I've figured out some things I never understood before… even though the more I think of it, the more obvious it becomes… that free will is a necessary part of getting them to work," Toby smiled at her. "See, how I've reasoned it is this… well, really it stems all the way back from the story itself, and I've pieced this together through several decades, so if I'm wrong, please let me know," Jennifer grinned. "Because at first, the myth behind the Dragonheart diamond is quite simple…a human and a fae maiden fell in love, and got married, and because some rejected that, there was a war, and their wedding present, the Dragonheart diamond, was broken. But…it's a bit more complex than that, because the truth of the matter is it's about free will and fate," Jennifer said, Toby nodding for her to continue.

"Humans by nature are creatures of free will, they live and die by trial and error, making mistakes and correcting them, while Fae… the original Fae before the separation of light and dark… were orderly, believed in fate and balance and the natural way of things. And so this human must have blundered in from one portal or another, fell for the Fae maiden who probably had been fated to meet her mate in a certain way and accepted him as the love she had been waiting for. The problem was that their meeting had actually been a complete accident; the Human had made a decision to well…go where he shouldn't have… and somehow messed up a 'fated' meeting that should have happened between her and another Fae. Seeing that at least her fate had come true, the family of the Fae girl didn't have much of a problem with the relationship and welcomed him with open arms into the fold.

"But somehow the elven man who had been fated to go with her found out she had been the one he was supposed to be with, but thanks to the outside interference, his fate was completely wrong. Such a thing was unheard of, so the only option in his mind was to demand she be handed over at once. But it was much to late for that; they were already deeply in love, and if I'm not mistaken she was with child by then as well. The family refused, and that was how the war began.

"I can only assume that the family of the Fae girl must have been quite powerful, perhaps part of the royal family of the original fairy court, for the faction of Fae who followed the ill-Fated male soon realized their attempts weren't going to get through to the girl on their own; that was when they turned to the demons for help. I can't guess what the deal itself was, although I wonder, considering the punishment was not to have children by their own kind, if giving their own children to the demons wasn't a part of it," Jennifer said, pausing for affirmation and getting a grim nod from Toby. "They then mated with the demons, forming the half-breeds we know now as Dark Fae, and formed their own court in mockery of the original. The sad part of the story is in fact in some ways they had won. With the combined powers of demons and faerie, the Dark Fae were eventually able to swarm the castle, shattering the crystal in a raid, and taking with them, if I'm not mistaken, the couple's half-human daughter, more than likely taken back to be made an example of and raped, bearing a son, correct?"

"You are correct," Toby said quietly.

"A son of a rather staggering amount of power for one of such a curious mix, and somehow, although I really can't fathom how, the mother must have somehow managed to protect him, at least for the first few years," Jennifer said gently. "He got his soul and magic from his mother and grandmother, his insurmountable power and quirks from his dark fae father, and most important, not only did he look as human as his grandfather, he had also inherited something none of the dark court was expecting; Free Will. Somehow he was able to defy the Unseelie Court at the age of three, stole the shattered pieces of the Dragonheart diamond from wherever they were, and escaped to our world to be taken in by the ancient Britons, I'd say… the rest of course, is history."

"Yes, Jennifer," Toby said evenly, nodding. "My history, at that. I was, of course, the son in the story, although I think the term defy is probably too strong of a word. I left because they had finally succeeded in murdering my mother after all the torture they put her through, protecting me from their evil with her magic and love and ultimately sacrificing herself so they couldn't touch me directly. It is her tear, Jennifer, not the tear of my grandmother that hangs upon your daughter's neck at this moment. The last tear she ever wept. In grief I saved it; solidified it; crystallized it; and wore it around my own neck for quite some time. It helped protect me from those that attempted to stop me as I ran for my life, stopping only long enough to gather the shards from where my mother had told me they were hidden before I fled through a portal to get lost among the humans, hoping that one day I could prove her sacrifice had not been in vain. Boy, was I a pain in the ass in those early years though… flaunting my powers, abusing them… telling those I ran into all sorts of stories I shouldn't have that's led to some rather unfortunate cave drawings with space ships and modern vehicles on them," he admitted, Jennifer grinning at that. "A god among folks with free will to command…yes, well, obviously it took me some years to sort out that 'free will' could work against me as well as for me…also known to you as that Camelot thing," he said somberly. "Of course by then I had other problems, not the least of which being Viviane and her priestess sisters deciding to wander to this side of the gate and declaring that the world was much too disorderly and a sense of Fate should be tried…well, I'm sure you know how that went. The first time I confronted her about it not being a good idea, she found out how my memory worked and talked me into saying a lot of things I shouldn't have… and then proceeded to talk me into _doing_ things I shouldn't have… yes well, to make a long story short, everyone makes mistakes, and of course you know one of mine nearly destroyed this world. Of course, fortunately, your husband fixed that…probably so he could have more time to make some nasty mistakes of his own, as you also already know."

"Well, it does explain why Lilueth thought she had some right to your blood for revenge… and also why she was so intent on the diamond," Jennifer said, Toby nodding at that. "But then, that brings me back to why I brought this whole thing up to begin with…how silly this war has gotten between Fate and Free Will! Thousands and thousands of years of fighting over which is right and which is wrong and which is better when they're quite compatible!" she said with exasperation.

"Oh? Do you think so?" Toby asked with a warm and intent smile. "So sure, are you?"

"Why, Mr. Toby, it's as clear as the ring on my finger," Jennifer smiled, gazing at it lovingly. "Well, actually, it's blue now, but that's hardly what I meant. If there has been anything I've learned about the past year, is that true love is a combination of both fate and free will. Sure, there needs to be a connection to have any sort of relationship... that spark… that special one-of-a-kind nobody more perfect for me feeling. But you got to want it, you got to work for it, you have to breathe life in it and fan the flames to keep them from going out," she said, breathing on the ring as she had when she had first gotten it. "And sometimes you've got to fight for it. And sometimes you have to make sacrifices for it. But there can be no doubt in my mind that your grandmother and grandfather understood that more than anybody. Love is both, Merlin, it has to be. And although I completely understand and appreciate you having to be here to rebalance Free Will since dear Viviane got it all out of whack during your long trip home, I would also like to see a day when everyone finally stops bickering over it and accepts both halves of the equation."

"As a guardian of half of that equation, I would like to, for the record, most emphatically agree with you," Toby smiled. "My goodness, Jennifer! You've come an awful long way this year, haven't you? And in the face of adversity!"

"Yep, that's my trainer all right," Jennifer said dryly. "Plus a bit of advice from you, a painting, and my family, of course."

"It never hurts to seek a bit of advice, Jennifer, provided you don't always heed it. Of course, it also helps, when you seek advice, if you actually decide to listen to it first before discounting it as well," Toby smiled. Jennifer blinked in confusion until she glanced around and meant that that last part was for someone else's benefit. "Good morning, Severus. Come to rescue your wife, have you? Can't leave her alone for a minute?"

"It's been half an hour, and it isn't that I can't leave her alone, I simply prefer not to," Severus said curtly.

"No, I can't say I blame you there," Toby agreed, winking at the reddening Jennifer.

"I take it the door no longer says brave and beautiful women only," Jennifer teased.

"He has it set to 'waylaid apprentices' only at the moment," Severus said.

"Well that leaves me out," Jennifer chuckled, grabbing the case. "Do you like my spectacles, Severus?"

"Oh, is this where you've been getting them from," Severus said disapprovingly.

"Does that mean you don't like them?" Jennifer pouted.

"On the contrary, I do rather like them," Severus said, Jennifer smiling warmly. "They make you look quite elegant." Jennifer suddenly blinked.

"Make me _look_ elegant? Does that mean you don't think I am elegant? Wait…do you mean you don't think I look elegant without the glasses?" Jennifer frowned at him. Suddenly she jumped and stood straight up, putting her arms behind her. "I'll wait outside."

"Good idea," Severus agreed, Toby pretending not to notice in a very exaggerated manner.

"If you happen to see Mr. Bailey, around, Jennifer, perhaps you could ask him to drop by? I might have something for him," Toby suggested.

"He's probably at his mother's knowing his normal routine. Perhaps I'll run up there real quick and see if she's finally recovered from my change in styles yet," Jennifer chuckled.

"It's a very nice change," Toby commented to Severus as she walked towards the door. "Especially from the back." Jennifer turned around and blushed bright red, backing her way out, while Severus gave Toby a dirty look. "Now, don't give me that, it isn't as if you didn't notice she had a nice toosh if what you did a moment ago was any indication."

"I have no idea what you're talking about old man," Severus said curtly. "Besides, she's my wife, so stop looking at her that way."

"Now, there's no rule against looking," Toby protested, "Even if it is lecherously. But speaking of looking, why don't you take a look around, Severus? It's been awhile, after all, or at least I know it must seem like it."

"In some ways," Severus sighed. "Although I hardly came in to shop…" he said, pausing when he saw a bottle on the very top shelf, staring at the label a moment before he decided to read the back of it.

"Oh, what did I do this time then?" Toby mused.

"Actually, it's about that night with the Time-Turner…" he began, but Toby held up a hand.

"There's no need to speak of it, Severus," he protested. "We both lost our tempers that night."

"I simply wanted to state that I believe I understand now," Severus said quietly. "Although if I could have saved her, I would have."

"I understand, Severus," Toby said solemnly. "But as I'm sure you realize, temporal magic must have certain rules in place to keep us from blowing holes in our universes, after all. If we started trying to save every person who ever befell an untimely death, we'd be not only rewriting their lives, but all those around them and those who are supposed to come after them. Do whatever you must to save who you can Severus, certainly, but we can't possibly save those who were meant to die, and to try to circumvent that would be disastrous."

"Jennifer was saved in such a way, once," Severus murmured softly, glancing at the potion thoughtfully.

"She wasn't meant to die," Toby said evenly.

"And just how do you tell the difference?" Severus asked. Toby began to say something, but then paused.

"My advice for that is, if you don't know the answer with a hundred percent certainty, don't try it," Toby said. "Now, Severus, if you don't mind, there's something I want to touch base with you on before Jennifer and the boy get back, because I'm rather concerned with him right now."

"Why, what is it?" Severus asked with a frown.

"Interference, dear boy, interference on a high scale," Toby said, shaking his head. "And I'm afraid I don't know exactly what that all entails, for I seem to have some sort of blank spot in my future memory… lasting years, actually." Severus squinted.

"Caused by what, exactly?"

"That's just the trouble, I don't remember," Toby admitted. "But I certainly don't have large blanks in my memory for no good reason. Just promise me you'll look after him."

"I would have done so anyhow," Severus assured him, putting the potion on the table while Toby looked at him mischievously.

"Why, Severus. Are you buying this by choice?" he asked innocently.

"Buying, yes. Whether I plan to do anything with it or not is an entirely different matter," he said firmly, putting some coins in the jar.

"Wise and informed decisions, Severus, that's what I would like to see from you from now on," Toby said with a nod, pulling out a scroll case and glancing at the rim of the scroll to make sure it was the right one before sliding the potion down the middle and closing it. "That is the main lesson I'm hoping you've learned from this rotten adventure. But here is another proper lesson…perhaps something that'll help you plan that class of yours…to go along with it."

"Thank you, sir," Severus said solemnly, taking the scroll case, half tempted to take a peek at the scroll until he heard the bell and turned to see Ambrose running towards them and Jennifer at the door, smiling questioningly.

"Hope we're not too soon?"

"Just in time," Toby smiled, the pulled out a wooden box.

"Aunt Jennifer said you wanted to see me," Ambrose said excitedly.

"Professor Craw," Severus frowned at him.

"Right, her too," Ambrose said, Toby looking amused at that, while Jennifer smiled enigmatically.

"I have refills here for your tapestry project, Mr. Bailey. How is it coming along?"

"Not as fast as I hoped," Ambrose admitted, looking at the box. "In fact, it's taking forever! I'm sure now I'm not going to get it done by the end of the year…I put in too many details, I think. In fact, even if I worked on it all summer I think I'd still have more to do next year. I made it too big," he added with a frown.

"No one ever said that Owl Goals were confined to one year, Mr. Bailey," Severus said. "You earn feathers by working on your goals as well as finishing them."

"I know, but everyone has so many more feathers than me at the moment," Ambrose sighed. "Especially Connie."

"And very well earned feathers those were too, although I imagine Hogwarts might regret it one day," Jennifer chuckled, then saw Severus raising a brow. "I'll tell you about it later, Severus, when we're in a muffled room so you can scream when you realize the long term ramifications of it."

"I'm afraid to ask now," Severus admitted, but Toby simply chuckled and turned back to Ambrose.

"Sometimes it can be frustrating to start a long term goal such as you have and know it's going to be a very long time before you finally get somewhere you feel that you're making progress, Ambrose. But any time spent on a goal is progressing in some way, and as you get older… perhaps even as you continue working on this project of yours… you'll start to realize that just having something to work towards and actually doing it is a reward into itself," he smiled, glancing at Severus who nodded slightly at that. "And as you get older, you'll find you might also start setting unobtainable goals for yourself… goals that take your entire lifetime to try and achieve and knowing you will probably never reach them, but always striving to get as close as you can to reaching it, nonetheless. Such as…a goal towards perfection…although that's probably a bad example since I achieved that one, but perhaps you get my meaning," Toby mused, while Severus and Jennifer both shook their heads at him. "Surely you have one or two of those sorts of goals, Severus."

"Yes," Severus said, glancing over at Jennifer. "Like trying to figure out what makes Jennifer tick," he said curtly, getting and amused smile from her in return.

"Oh, that's just the biological clock thing…tick…tick…tick…I hear it too, rather persistent, isn't it?" Toby mused. Jennifer gave him a dirty look.

"Well, all I know is, I do want to finish it, and if it turns out well, maybe give it to the castle, because I think it's going to be smashing!" Ambrose said brightly.

"Really, what's the theme?" Toby asked with a smile.

"King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table!" Ambrose said enthusiastically. Toby blinked at him and his smile turned strange, while Severus and Jennifer's color drained out of their faces and they glanced at each other unsurely.

"My dear boy, what ever made you pick that?" Toby asked.

"I had to pick something out of history, and…well, I dunno, but it was the first thing that came to mind. I have them all sitting at the table with Arthur standing with Excalibur and I got the castle in the background and all sorts of other neat things in it and I have other people standing near the castle like Guineviere and Pellinor and Merlin, of course…I put him near the tower. Hey, did you know that Merlin had an owl named Archimedes too?" Ambrose asked. Perched by the door, the wooden owl decided to bob its head.

"You don't say," Toby said, while Jennifer and Severus seemed curiously serene.

"You know, though, maybe you're on to something about that unobtainable goals thing, because, I was just thinking, and…in a way, Camelot itself was an unobtainable goal as well, wasn't it?" he said, Toby smiling enigmatically at him but not saying a word. "Well, I mean, it's like they were striving for perfection too, that's really what the story is all about, isn't it? Oh, well, except for that bit at the end giving in to temptations and listening to fears and getting too full of yourself when you should be paying attention to what's going on about you. I've always hated that part of the story, honestly, considering all of that could have been avoided with a bit of common sense and figuring out what's important from the beginning instead of when it's too late," Ambrose said, wondering why nobody seemed to want to comment. In fact, Jennifer had suddenly turned and smiled enigmatically at her husband, who for some reason had turned bright red and looked quite uncomfortable on his feet.

"Yes, well…the fallibilities of humanity are as endless as their potential for good, Ambrose. It's the price humanity pays for its right to Free Will."

"All the same, I would have liked it to have turned out better," Ambrose said with a sigh.

"Yes, Ambrose," Toby smiled warmly at him. "I think I would have liked that better too."

"Perhaps it's time we got him out of here," Severus said, feeling uneasy.

"I know, Ambrose, how about we track Lucky down, and we can all get sandwiches at the deli or something?" Jennifer offered.

"Great!" Ambrose said enthusiastically, getting some coins out, but Toby covered the jar.

"No, no, no…it's on me. That is, if it's all right with Severus?"

"I can hardly stop him now, can I?" Severus said curtly, and Toby simply smiled at him, handing Ambrose his box.

Just then, Aurelius came rushing in, his face as white as a sheet, and his eyes darting towards Ambrose before glancing at his parents and then Toby.

"We need to get him out of here," Aurelius said firmly. "Viviane is here…she made the excuse that she wants to visit with Anna but she's got that look in her eye, and I feel a bomb of a Secret over my head. Take him back to Hogwarts, anything, just get him out of here."

"Hide the shop, quick!" Jennifer said.

"I can't hide this shop from her," Toby said, getting up with and open look of concern. "Aurelius is right, Severus, get him out before she finds out he's here."

"Viviane? Who's Viviane? Why would she care if I'm here or not?" Ambrose wondered as Severus grabbed his arm and began pulling him out of the shop.

"Wait! There she is! Dad, the key…"

"It won't work in here, I have to get him over the threshold," Severus hissed and pulled the boy behind him, Jennifer standing with her back to him as well, further blocking him from view. "Ambrose, do what you're told and for heaven's sake, don't say a word!"

Reluctantly, Aurelius then opened the door for her and Viviane stepped in, Ambrose peering past just long enough to catch sight of the tall, timeless woman with eyes currently squinting slightly and filled with fire. Quickly, Severus stepped backwards, pushing Ambrose further into the wall, but at the moment, Viviane's eyes were on Aurelius where he stood holding the door.

"Are you stalking me?" Viviane asked icily, in a tone that seemed to indicate she hadn't thought he had the nerve to do such a thing before.

"Now how could I possibly be stalking you, Aunt Viviane, when I arrived before you did?" Aurelius asked evenly, but Viviane's thin smile told him she didn't buy it.

"Get out before I lose my temper," she advised. Glancing at his father, who nodded, Aurelius reluctantly retreated outside. She then gave Severus a cursory, disapproving frown before glancing over at Jennifer, her eyes sliding to her right hand then back up at her again. "Finally got that monkey off your family's back, I see?" she said with a thin, almost approving smile.

"One of them, at any rate," Jennifer said so venomously that Viviane's eyes narrowed.

"What is it that you want, Viviane? I'm sure you're not here to question my customers," Toby interrupted, forcing her attention back on him.

"I am here for my mirror, actually, the Priest's Mirror, and I'd prefer to discuss it without the audience, if you don't mind."

"The Priest's Mirror? What the devil would I want with that? I can hardly see myself in it," Toby shrugged, while Jennifer and Severus began to slowly edge Ambrose towards the door.

"I heard you tried to sell it," Viviane said flatly.

"Actually, no, although I admit it was in the shop. I was only using it for an instructional tool," said Toby.

"You're aware, of course, that other than instructing your apprentice that such 'instruction' is interfering?" she asked.

"Well, what about that business with Essie, Viviane?"

"That was _my_ business," she said firmly. "It was in my territory."

"Well, the mirror was in my shop at the time, and this is _my_ territory."

"This shop shouldn't even exist, as you well know! I only tolerated it from the beginning because of Ciara's escape, and you have yet to explain why you decided to come back since then," Viviane said.

"To conduct my business, what else?" Toby said firmly.

Just then there was the sound of the bell above the door, and Toby glanced up horrified at it. Severus quickly grabbed Ambrose and tried to shove him out the door only to push him into the door itself, which had slammed in their faces. Viviane had raised her hand immediately upon hearing the noise and turned to see what they were up to, staring at the boy holding his nose. Their eyes met for only a split second before Severus quickly pulled Ambrose behind him again.

"What is that?" Viviane asked, pointing her finger at him, ignoring Severus completely. "That boy, what is that? What have you done?"

"He's under my protection," Severus said firmly, getting her attention.

"You are only my nephew through marriage, Severus, and that's not going to be enough this time. I demand an explanation!" Viviane said furiously. Suddenly the door opened again and Severus somehow managed to get he and Ambrose both safely outside, the door slamming once more before Jennifer could get out.

"Demand all you like, but I insist you not discuss this in front of the boy. He has no idea yet who he is," Toby said firmly.

"I don't care what he knows and doesn't know! I want to know why that thing exists at all!" Viviane demanded. Jennifer felt her temperature rising and pushed her glasses up despite the fact it was obvious that Viviane had forgotten she was even standing there.

"If you must know, I have a very large gap in my future memories that's been troubling me for years, and now I'm on the verge of reaching it. I knew that Severus was going to be tested in this time period, and I was afraid his failure was the reason it was there," Toby explained.

"You were not going to lose your main line, at least not the way they breed!" Viviane retorted, jerking her thumb towards Jennifer whose knuckles had whitened.

"I nearly did. I nearly lost them all," Toby said somberly.

"Anna has all your bloodlines as well, and I certainly wouldn't have let anything happen to her!" Viviane pointed out.

"And she is your heir, not mine, and you were in no danger of losing it!" Toby snapped.

"You still had no right to start a new line! How dare you have even considered it, when you are not even supposed to be here right now, you should be in Tir Na Nog! You are interfering with my business!" she accused him.

"How dare he?" Jennifer said incredulously and with such open fury that Toby glanced over in surprise. "How dare you!" she said, jumping in between them, Toby's eyes widening in astonishment while Viviane raised an eyebrow at her. "After you intentionally orchestrated my family for over a thousand years to do your dirty work! After interfering left and right by pushing Craw buttons while cultivating us like plants so we wouldn't have Merlin blood and weeding out whoever didn't suit you so you could get rid of any thorn in your side without any danger of him knowing about it! You have no right to question him having a child at all, considering he has free will, balance of magic or not, and you definitely have no right after intentionally working against him for centuries and using us to do it! As demented as Mallus Craw was and as unforgivable his deeds, he was right about one thing. You are an enemy of the Craws, Viviane, and we're not going to let you manipulate our family any more!" Viviane snarled and began to draw herself up and in fact seemed to be growing in height while her eyes flashed furiously at the woman in front of her who was standing her ground defiantly.

"Don't do it!" Toby said, suddenly pulling Jennifer back with his arms around it. "Don't you touch her! Jennifer is now officially under my protection! She is right to question you on this! And now that I hear the full story behind it, I find it explains a lot of questions I had coming back about why things were so out of whack when I returned, and I think it is you, not I, who have some explaining to do!"

"I do not answer to you, I answer to Fate!" Viviane said furiously. "But you are going to answer for that child out there, Merlin. As for you…I should have stopped Dumbledore from saving you when I had the chance. Fate has been much, much too kind to you. Don't be surprised if that begins to change, Craw," she said, Toby pulling her back a little more.

Suddenly the door completely blew off the hinges and out into the street as a blast of hurricane force wind rushed in and then with the same force rushed back out, taking Viviane with it. Jennifer suddenly realized she had been holding her breath and Toby turned to her with open concern.

"Are you all right, Jennifer? Come sit down," he insisted, pulling her back over towards the stool by the counter.

"I really blew it this time, didn't I?" Jennifer realized, glancing at Toby who was glancing around his wrecked shop with a frown. "I just made things worse for you as well…"

"Now, never you mind about that, it's not your fault," Toby insisted. "Although if you don't mind, I'd rather you not try to come to my rescue like that any more, it could have gotten quite messy. Now, don't worry about that bit at the end with her messing with your Fate, she can't really do that between your marriage to Severus and being under my protection, but I suggest you try and stay out of her way. I'd rather her anger be directed at me and not you. I need to concentrate on Ambrose's protection right now, Jennifer, do you understand?" Jennifer nodded somberly. "Promise?"

"I promise I'll do what I can to stay out of her way," Jennifer said and Toby smiled.

"Thank you," Toby said and then heard his name and looked up, stepping over to look out the door just as Ashley ran in, looking terrified. "Don't worry! We're fine, we're fine!"

"What happened? I heard a noise and looked out and your door was blown out! Where's Ambrose?" Ashley said, making sure he was all right before giving him a hug, while Jennifer politely ignored the exchange, inspecting the damage.

"Severus took him back to the castle," Toby reassured her. "I'm afraid the inevitable happened and Viviane found out about our little arrangement and she went into a bit of a tiff," he explained, Ashley gasping and covering her mouth in response. "Now, none of that…there are certain protections in place on the castle and she can't touch him while he's there, but we're going to have to be cautious any time he's out of it. We'll talk about it at greater length later, my dear, but for now I really should do something about that door," he said, glancing up to see Aurelius standing in the doorway.

"There's quite a crowd gathering out here, sir, what sort of official explanation should we give them?" he asked.

"Microburst?" Toby offered.

"Someone accidentally let in a Wind Devil," Jennifer offered.

"That'll work," Aurelius said and went back outside, while Toby looked over at Jennifer with amusement.

"Why, Jennifer, I do believe you're finally getting the hang of um… colorful honesty now," Toby said.

"Well, I learned it from you, Mr. Toby," Jennifer said dryly, stepping outside just as Severus walked up and excused herself to go over with him.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked worriedly, glancing over at where Toby and Aurelius were trying to break up the crowd, a brick wall settling over the shop leaving only the broken doorframe to show that anything had happened. "For a split moment while I was at the castle, I swear your watch setting flipped from Hogsmeade to Mortal Peril and back again, that's why I decided to come back."

"Yes, I know, but I'm fine now, although…I'm not sure how we're going to keep Ambrose's heritage a secret much longer. It won't be easy," Jennifer admitted.

"That's the understatement of the year," he said, shaking his head at the problems this was going to cause, frowning as Toby walked through the wall and everyone reluctantly began to disperse, disappointed that it was obviously going to be several days before he would be able to get the shop in order again.

"Don't worry about Toby, Severus, he's all right. Ashley's in there looking after him," Jennifer reassured him.

"It wasn't him I was worried about," Severus said defensively. "It isn't as if he didn't know this was going to happen sooner or later. Although I myself would have preferred it if had been much, much, later."

"Do you suppose Ashley is going to be all right?" Jennifer wondered.

"I doubt Aunt Viviane would take it out on her, Jennifer," Severus said in a low voice.

"That's not exactly what I meant. She's just so worried about them…both Ambrose and Toby. In fact, I think she's in love with him," Jennifer murmured.

"Then she is a fool, because I'm sure she knows how impossible such a love would be," Severus said firmly, Jennifer gazing at him intently.

"Are you so certain of that, Severus?" Jennifer asked.

"Quite certain. The man isn't capable of love," Severus said.

"What?" Jennifer said in disbelief, shaking her head at her husband with a smile. "Now, Severus, you of all people know better than that! He loves Ambrose very much; it's evident every time that boy is anywhere near him. He loved his mother quite deeply, that I'm totally sure of. And he loves you too, Severus, although granted in a more grandfatherly sort of way…"

"Now, you know that wasn't the sort of love I was speaking of, Jennifer," Severus chided her. "I meant the sort that you and I have."

"Oh, well, no, Severus, he couldn't have that since by his very nature he doesn't have a cosmic match, I do agree with you there, but that hardly means he can't have a long term mutual relationship with a woman if he were so inclined," Jennifer said insistently.

"Need I remind you, Jennifer, that the man has enough demon in him that he can't touch a woman without impregnating her? And I seriously doubt the old man would get into a long-term celibate relationship with a woman, he isn't the type that would seek something like that, he knows he's better off alone," Severus argued.

"No man is an island, Severus, and I'm sure there must be some ways around that somehow. If he loved a woman, truly loved one enough for it to matter, and of course if she loved him back, I think they could find a way to make it work no matter what the obstacles," Jennifer said, gazing at her husband lovingly, despite the dubious expression on his face. "Love conquers all, Severus," she added quietly, his dubious gaze fading into something else entirely. "Or have you still not learned that lesson yet?"

"Yes," Severus said quietly, finding himself getting lost in her green eyes again. "Yes, I have, thanks to one extraordinary teacher." Jennifer smiled at him, leaning on his arm affectionately. He finally put it around her as they walked down the street together, happy just to have her by his side once more.

End of Book 2 Series 4

_MILD SPOILERS AHEAD for Book Three_

_Jennifer Craw and the Guardian of Fate_

* * *

_A/N And that's it! And yes, there was a bit of setup for the next book in that last chapter. For in many ways, this book was all about Free Will, and the brutal fight to protect it. __ The next book, as I'm sure you can guess, is about Fate._

_ Now that Severus has finally come to terms with his mortality, Jennifer... finally having figured out the whole Free Will - Fate thing, decides maybe it's time Severus figured out that Fate is part of the equation too... oh dear. For some reason I think she has her work cut out for her. Dunno why. Meanwhile, Viviane is on a rampage, Merlin is biting his nails, and Ambrose and Lucky are in for some major life upsets._

_In fact, next book is more about Ambrose and Toby, with Lucky coming in a close second in certain areas. It is a lighter book (except some of the Lucky stuff), more of a Fantasy feel to it (lots more Merlin and Viviane, obviously) which concentrates mostly on character development, Fate, and Legends. Call it a breather book of sorts._

_The good news is...I'm already six chapters in (mostly follow up from this book, and more Sev and Jennifer working stuff out) The bad news is... I'm getting ready to go on vacation. Rather than start something on the verge of that, I'm going to wait until I get back to start putting Guardian of Fate up, around the third weekend in June, or just after. (sorry!)_

_ Until then, I'll see what I can do to get further in, and I hope to see you all again for the next book, where all sorts of secrets, both good and bad, are going to start exploding around poor Aurelius' ears. Thanks again for reading, and please let me know what you thought of this book! JCWriter_


End file.
